


The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials

by Dock872210, NamelessEngine



Series: The Unrelenting Frozen Seas [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Bisexual Character, Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Character Death, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, F/M, Faded Gods, Family, Female Harry Potter, Friendship, Gen, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Lesbian Character, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:29:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 167,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27649562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dock872210/pseuds/Dock872210, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelessEngine/pseuds/NamelessEngine
Summary: The child of the frozen seas has grown a great deal from the skittish street child she once was. Her continuing journeys becomes more hazardous with every step. Will she be able to raise to the challenge or will she fall to ruin?
Relationships: Rhode Evans/Jack Overland, Rhode Evans/Su Li
Series: The Unrelenting Frozen Seas [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021171
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Summer Fun and a Funeral

**Author's Note:**

> Continued part of our migration from FFN (21 Nov 2020).

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter One: Summer Fun and a Funeral**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Relaxing after a day of training, the demigoddess Rhode Evans surveyed her home as she laid down on her bed. The Poseidon Cabin at Camp Half-Blood was the first home that the daughter of the sea god had ever had and she'd taken pains to transform it into a space that was truly her own. She'd shrunk and put away the original bunk beds in exchange for a single more comfy one. At the same time, she'd added a TV area with its own couch, beanbag chair and coffee table for some nighttime chilling out; and an area for her hobbies that had a art desk for her to draw at and a corkboard where she pinned up all the best and most meaningful photos that she'd taken.

"I've really done a good job with this place, huh?" Rhode said aloud as she finished her examination. "Well, it's close to dinner. Oh! I still have to do my journal for today."

Picking her trusty journal off the shelf, the young scion of the sea plopped herself down on her bed. She spent a moment getting comfortable. Once she was happy with her position, she began to kick her feet in the air and began to pen her thoughts.

_So Journal, I got my hair cut today. I decided to switch to a shoulder length cut. It was getting annoyingly long and Fergus, that cheating son of Ares, kept tugging on it in our last spar. The new style also lets me show off my new gold starfish earrings more too. Which is another big plus in my book._

_Me thinking about how I look? The me from a couple years ago would gag at the very idea. I sure have changed, huh? Well, on this front at least, it's all Emily's doing. So past me if you read this somehow, blame her, okay?_

_But seriously, speaking of unwanted hair, I had some pop up on my arms and legs lately. Another_ gift _of puberty no doubt. It was a good thing I spotted that ad in the Daily Prophet Lee loves to read. Thanks to that, I found a nice little potion that gets rid of unwanted body hair!_

_On an even more serious note, a lot of things have happened at Camp since the whole Lupin incident, hasn't it? I, well, I had to talk to Chiron about the voice from my dreams. They're getting more frequent now, sometimes I even imagine like I hear a faint whisper in my ear even when I'm awake._

_He looked pale when I told him, dread written all over his face. Even the unflappable Mr. D seemed nervous. They played it off as my stress getting to me and causing aural hallucinations, or some such rubbish. I think they were just trying to lie about what it really is._

_Though to whom? Me? Or themselves?_

_Either way, I don't like it._

_Less ominously, Atlanta got accepted at some college under a track and field scholarship. I'm going to miss her and our little surf sessions together. Heck, I'm even going to miss our archery lessons, much as I fail epicly at it each time._

Rhode laughed at the passage. Calling her failures at archery epic were an understatement.

_I know most Campers generally don't come back after they get old enough for college, but I hope she still visits. Speaking of Campers, we got a pair of new guys and they're Hermes' kids. Stoll? Yeah, the Stoll twins. Poor Luke, he's going to have his hands full with them. Personally, I've got mixed feelings about them. They seem like fun kids, but their pranks can be a touch over the line._

_As for Luke, turns out he got selected for this summer's-_

A knock rapped at her door.

"Hey Rhode! Come on, you said you'd give me a hand." Luke shouted from the other side of the door.

Closing her journal and climbing off her bed to put her shoes on, the daughter of Poseidon replied.

"Give me a second!"

* * *

Pushing a branch aside as she trudged through the woods around camp with Luke, Rhode regaled her friend with her latest trouble with the opposite gender, "Then he said: _Hey, are you a riptide, because you swept me off my feet._ " Cutting out her obnoxiously masculine imitation of the jerkwad, she continued in a normal tone. "What the heck does that even mean? It sounds like a lame line my dad would use."

Luke raised a brow as he followed after her as she vented her frustration at the vegetation by stomping around the forest. Ostensibly the two were currently hunting monsters to help Luke prepare for his coming quest to the Garden of Hesperides, but it was quickly becoming a session of Rhode bitching about her life.

"Who said that?"

"Zack from Cabin Seven." The dark haired girl said with a roll of her eyes, "At least that wasn't the worst of it. Dominik from Ares dedicated, and I repeat, _dedicated_ the wedgie of a new camper to me…what the Hades is that supposed to mean to me? Why do guys have to be so weird?"

"Puberty." Luke commented as he added muttered 'Maia' under his breath, making fluttering dove wings manifest from the sides of the new Converse sneakers that his Dad had given him for his quest. He leaped up into the air and perched onto a branch, looking further ahead in the woods.

Rhode looked up at him with unamused eyes, "Thanks for that tidbit. Well, at least it wasn't like with Adam." She groaned, cutting a bush out of her way with the sword in her fist.

Luke paused, looking down with a frown, "What'd he do?"

"The son of love asked if he could put suntan lotion on my back while I was sunbathing in my bikini." The daughter of Poseidon told him bluntly, the blond's frown growing in response. Rhode tapped her chin in thought, "Though he did say my dimples of Venus were nice…and he was sorta cute."

So were some of the other boys, but Rhode wasn't going to tell them that.

"Remind me to make sure we go up against Cabin Ten in CTF this Friday." Luke mumbled through the quiet woods. "Though I have to ask, why were you suntanning on the beach anyway? And in a bikini no less? You know how the boys are when girls try that."

"So we can't suntan?" Rhode asked him, her eyes narrowed.

"Just saying that it's a free country." Luke told her with a shrug. "You want to do something, someone else can respond basically however they want. You can't stand the hormone driven mid-puberty boys hitting on you then don't bait them."

"That's sexist." The daughter of Poseidon said, glaring at her friend.

"Just speaking the truth, Rhode."

The ground rumbled and the two half-bloods paused their increasingly tense discussion and went silent in anticipation for the fight that was likely to come. Luke pulled his sword out of its scabbard with a metallic hiss and pointed to the left.

Rhode nodded and she silently creeped towards the direction that Luke indicated, while he flew above her playing overwatch.

As they peeked into a clearing, they both saw a massive purple scaled, diamond headed winged dragon. The monster was the size of a bus and each step of its four immense legs shook the earth like a mini earthquake.

It looked like it was their lucky day. Luke was set to face the legendary dragon, Ladon, so what better monster to get some practice in than with another dragon.

Rhode grinned up at her friend and pointed at the soon to be dead monster. Luke nodded with a matching grin and they broke into the clearing with a war cry.

* * *

Jack Overland, son of Khione, was just finishing up a hand-to-hand combat class with Fergus, when the son of Ares had the bright idea to have his exhausted students do some full contact spars. And the jerk just had to pair him with Rhode!

The daughter of Poseidon was a monster in the ring. Outside of Fergus himself, she was the most skilled hand-to-hand fighter in the class.

Which was why Jack did the smart thing. He leveraged his superior reaction time and speed to stay out of grappling and hitting range of the girl. He knew that if he gave her the chance to land a single solid hit, then the match was over.

Judging by the way Rhode's predatory sea green eyes were narrowed, she'd figured that out too. Which was why she was pressing her attack. Hard.

If that was all, then it wouldn't be _that_ much of a problem. But fighting Rhode was incredibly distracting for the boy. Seeing her fight was an amazing sight, especially since she tended to dress down for it. In fact, she was currently dressed in nothing more than a pair of black jogging shorts and a matching sports bra. As a result, she was showing off a distracting amount of sexy toned skin.

Sure he probably shouldn't be thinking about that in the middle of a spar, but he was a hormonal teenage boy. Sue him!

"Heh, you're a jumpy guy, aren't you Snowflake?" Rhode teased with that cute cocky smirk of hers, as he jumped away from another of her kicks.

Jack rolled his icy blue eyes, "I just like to not get hit is all."

"Funny, since I've been hitting on you all day."

"You're hilarious." Jack deadpanned.

Rhode just flashed him a grin and charged in again. She went for a right hook that Jack blocked, but she shifted her body inside his guard. Once in position, her hands lashed out and grabbed hold of his shirt.

The next thing Jack knew, he was in the air. He didn't get the chance to enjoy it though as before he could do anything, he found himself hitting the ground hard.

_Did she just judo flip me? Seriously!?_

As he laid there on his back, Jack tried to figure out where girls at camp learned that move. He was absolutely sure that it wasn't taught in regular classes, but somehow every girl in camp knew how to pull it off. Seriously, it was like the girls taught it to each other in secret or something!

He was pulled from his musings when Rhode came into his line sight, a victorious smirk on her lips as she looked down at him with her hands on her hips, "Looks like I win, Snowflake. Again."

"…I swear you're part Saiyan." Jack told her with a groan, sitting up. It hurt like a bitch since his butt ached badly from the whooping he'd just received but at least it got his abused back off the ground.

"Oh shut up with that already." The girl angrily scoffed as she wandered over to her water bottle and towel.

The son of Khione was about to continue teasing the daughter of Poseidon about her bloodthirstiness and skill at fighting, but what happened next made him nearly swallow his tongue.

In a bid to cool herself down, Rhode had opened her water bottle and started to let its contents spill over her head. The water spilled down her hair and droplets cascaded down her body. As she shook her hair, it looked like it was in slow motion to Jack.

It was like something out of a commercial. Or one of those adult films he was not supposed to watch, but had anyway.

He personally blamed his hormones and his crush on the daughter of Poseidon.

Releasing a content sigh at having cooled off, the girl turned towards him and her face scrunched up in confusion. "Uh, Snowflake, you cool? You're looking flustered? Did I work you too hard?"

 _Can you stop sounding so misleading!_ Jack mentally complained as he blushed so hard that his face felt like it was on fire. Turning away, he answered. "Nope, just getting my second wind is all." He answered, trying –and most likely failing- to play it cool.

Which was normally his strong point mind you.

"If you say so." Rhode shrugged, hanging her towel around her neck as she wiped her face. It was at this moment that he was glad the child of the sea was as dense as a block of lead.

It was the only reason he managed to get out of these situations without outing his feelings.

Taking his words at face value, Rhode reached down and flipped open her godly cellphone and looked at the time, "Hm, time for Arts and Crafts." She offered him an apologetic smile, "Guess we can continue some other time, Jack."

"I'm down for a raincheck." The demigod nodded as he stood up.

With a wink, the daughter of Poseidon turned to Fergus and after getting a nod of dismissal headed off, throwing an absentminded wave over her shoulder as she walked away.

As she left, Jack couldn't help but tilt his head a little.

Rhode was certainly growing up, her, um, derriere was proof of that. It was starting to look rounder every day.

"Thank you, Poseidon." He murmured as he gave a halfhearted wave in return due to his distraction.

A moment later, a seagull swooped by and somehow pooped in his eye.

"Ew! Gods why?!" Jack cried out, snagging his water bottle and spilling it over his eye, trying to desperately clean it out.

Maybe next time he wouldn't thank the dad of the girl he liked for looking so pretty.

"Ha ha!"

"Shut up Fergus!"

* * *

It was after dinner and Rhode was enjoying some free time. So deciding to take advantage, she chose to partake in one of her favorite hobbies and retreat to her cabin to do some drawing. She had recently come across some of Michael Turner's work that she'd quite liked and wanted to have a go at replicating.

Her attempts were frustrated though as just looking at the comic books she wanted to reference reminded her of the jabs she got in the latest CTF game and caused a grumpy pout to come to her lips.

_Just because I have a famous shield, it doesn't mean I was going to hurl it like an idiot!_

"Honestly, what are the idiots thinking?" She said, shading in a panel. "Captain America Girl? I'm British born turned American, it makes no sense. Why is everyone in Camp so immature at times?"

And so help her if Lee managed to finish his search for the 'ideal' theme song for her, she'd wring the son of Hermes' neck.

_I don't care if he was joking! If he picks My Little Pony or Under the Sea, no god will be able to protect him!_

"Rhode?" Su's soft voice came through the door alongside a soft knocking from the door. "Lee says he's sorry, he's looking into a metal band now. I-I think that's better, maybe. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Su, come on in." Rhode said as she stood from her artist desk, placing her pencil down.

The petite Chinese daughter of Demeter uttered a prayer to the sea god and entered the cabin. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun, and her clothes had dirt stains on them, no doubt from working in the strawberry fields.

"Feeling better?"

Grunting, Rhode said. "I might go hunting in the woods before bed at this rate. Why is Lee such a dumbass?"

"Because he likes to be the center of attention. He has a complex that makes him have a need to stand out and reap praise or adoration from his peers in an immature fashion because he knows that'll appeal to us teenagers?"

Rhode blinked a few times. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, you probably mean for today? Well, I don't know." Su knitted her brow in thought.

"Boys." The taller girl rolled her eyes.

"Indeed." Su nodded, but offered a tiny smile. "If you want to work off some aggression, I'm willing to assist!"

"What do you have in mind?"

A tentacle-like vine snaked its way out of Su's right sleeve as the shorter girl replied, an excited gleam in her eyes. "I've got a few new techniques I want to try out with Helel here, want to help me with that?"

"...You named it?"

The tentacle hugged Su's arm in a fashion that somehow came across as loving.

"Of course! All good plants need a name."

"...You are adorkable."

Su's face flushed red at this.

* * *

"Now Rhode," Su started off as they stood in the training arena, "This is going to be a powers only fight."

"Alright," The daughter of Poseidon nodded.

"I mean it." Su pointed at her with a pout. "That means no punching, no kicking, no biting, no poking, and no wedgies."

"I promise!"

Su looked a touch dubious at this and pointed to a bucket of water. "That's all the water I could get."

The child of Poseidon crossed her arms, a smirk on her lips. "This a handicap fight now?"

"Do you really need more than that?"

"Point taken." The green eyed girl conceded as she held out her hand and willed the water to float around her. It swirled around her in deadly streams, waiting for her command.

There was a beat of silence as the two girls eyed each other. Rhode couldn't be sure what Su was thinking but she was trying to recall everything she knew the daughter of Demeter could do and coming up with counters for as many of them as she could.

 _There's just too many!_ Rhode realized quickly. _Well, guess I'll have to force her to show her hand._

Acting on the thought, Rhode launched two ribbons of water at Su, who quickly dodged to the left. The taller girl's green eyes followed her and she whipped her wrist in the direction Su had leaped towards, causing the water to bend in mid-air and chase after her.

Having more distance this time, the petite girl decided to stand her ground. Stuffing her hand into a opened pouch on her waist, she pulled out a handful of acorns that she proceeded to throw at the ground in front of her. In an instant, a small patch of oaks grew out of the earth and acted as a wall that Rhode's water splashed harmlessly against.

"Good save." Rhode commented even as she pulled the scattered water back together into a single floating mass, as she plotted her next move.

"Thanks, but I thought that it would work better than that." The daughter of Demeter remarked with a pout.

"Thought what would work?"

"I was experimenting with getting my plants to rapidly absorb water. But the rate is still barely noticeable at all."

"You are making countermeasures against me?"

"...I really want to beat you in a spar." Su announced, her blushing cheeks luminous in the waxing light.

"A-dorkable." Rhode affirmed.

Su didn't really appreciate the sentiment though.

"I'll show you my adorability!" Su declared angrily as she raised her hands in the air, prompting a vine to snake out of her sleeve and sink itself into the earth, where with the help of her powers it quickly grew into a set of gargantuan thorny tentacles that broke through the ground and lanced towards Rhode.

"Whoa!" The child of Poseidon ducked under one vine and sliced another in half with a stream of water that she'd frozen the edge of to increase its cutting power. The number of vines proved almost overwhelming though, and Rhode found herself hardpressed to keep up with them.

"Do Helel and I look adorable now, eh Rhode!?" Su taunted.

With her tendrils of water preoccupied fending off Helel's other vines, a new one shot out of nowhere and blindsided Rhode by slamming into her side. The daughter of Poseidon rolled with the blow however, and managed to jump to her feet almost instantly. Her moment of distraction cost her and her control over the water slipped a little, thus allowing the plant's many appendages to lash out at her unimpeded.

Reacting quickly, she regained control over the water and intercepted them. However, in her rush she'd misjudged the number of vines whipping her way and one slipped through her hasty defense. Not wanting to be sent tumbling from another painful hit, she decided it was time to call on one of her trump cards.

Focusing on the vail hidden in her right sock, a stream of liquid shot into the air from out of her shoe and cut the offending vine in half. The two halves of the severed limb hissing as the severed portion fell to the floor with a thump and the stump hastily pulled back.

"What was that?" Su asked, surprised at the development, taking a step back in worry.

"Scorpio's venom." Rhode replied without elaboration as she used her Toxikinesis to have the small amount of deadly poison circle around her protectively.

"I, you, you managed to milk the venom? You finally gained proper control over your Toxikinesis?"

The smirk on Rhode's face spoke volumes as the tiny snake of venom lashed out like a bullet. It cut and dismembered the prickly vines, forcing Su to be more tactical and have her vines evade it even as they continued to attack.

"Ha ha! This is awesome Su!" The daughter of Poseidon declared as she fired off another ribbon of water.

The rest of the fight devolved into a battle of dueling tendrils. One in which neither side could gain a decided advantage. Rhode could destroy Helel's vines but Su just used her powers to help it regrow them, on the other hand despite Su's best efforts the plant simply couldn't outmaneuver the streams of liquid that Rhode used to defend herself.

After ten whole minutes of stalemate, Rhode decided to call the match. "Tie?"

"Tie." Su agreed with a pleased smile. "That was fun."

"Yeah, fun." Rhode agreed insincerely, a little bummed that even with her brand spanking new power to manipulate poisons, she hadn't been able to beat her friend.

Recalling their respective 'weapons', both girls began to cool down. Wiping the sweat off her brow, Rhode grabbed one of the nearby towels and tossed it to Su.

One of Helel's vines caught it.

"So, why Helel?" Rhode asked curiously, as she eyed the Devil Snare clipping pass the towel to its mistress.

"Devil Snare. Helel is one of the names attributed to the devil. I wanted something more unique than simply Lucifer or Satan." Su explained.

"Huh, biblical." Rhode confessed as she hung the towel from her neck. "Though wasn't he the one that pulled the sun or something? Isn't that kinda ironic since Devil Snares hate light?"

"It comes from how the devil was originally the Archangel who was known as the light bringer."

"Neat. Though I have another question."

"Yes?"

"Why do you have a tentacle plant in your shirt?"

Su blinked in confusion. "Where else would I hide him?"

Rhode looked away, unwilling to answer that as her mind thought back to some of the _interesting_ places a girl could hide something like that. Having all the channels on her TV wasn't the best thing at times. You never know what you'd stumble across.

* * *

It was a late June morning for Camp Half-Blood. Everything was normal. The weather was perfect as usual and the dryads had cooked up a wonderful breakfast for everyone to enjoy. Though since it was getting late, most campers had already finished scarfing down their breakfasts so they could rush to whatever first activity they had for the day.

"Oi oi! What's dis shite?" Fergus exclaimed loudly as he eyed the newspaper in his hands disbelievingly. His cry drew the attention of most of the the campers still in the Dining Pavilion.

"What's up?" Lee asked the tall and broad son of Ares. "Something wrong with your funnies?"

The Scot wasn't much of an intellectual, but he still dutifully read the paper everyday for the comic strips.

In response to Lee's question, the son of war just flipped the newspaper around. Printed on the front page and now visible to all was a picture of Nils, the head of Athena Cabin.

He'd been away from camp for weeks now. The campers didn't know why, but one of the older Athena campers had been running the cabin in his absence.

For a moment, the campers thought that maybe he'd gotten into the papers for winning some academic prize or some such. Their hopes were shattered though when they overcame their dyslexia and made out the words 'Mass shooting', 'Loss' and 'Death' emblazoned in bold in the headline above the photo of their friend.

A dreadful silence filled the air as the realization slowly sank in. It was broken when the head of Cabin Four and Nils' girlfriend, Viridi, suddenly stood up from her seat, marched up to Fergus and ripped the pager out of his hands. Her hazel eyes ran along the words until she turned to the young man and shot him a venomous look.

"Is this a joke, Wallace?" Veridi hissed like a mamba, thorny vines breaking out from under the pavilion's stone floor in response to her anger.

"I'd never joke 'bout somethin' like this!" Fergus said, standing to his full height and towering over the blonde child of Demeter.

"It's not funny!" The young woman screamed out in fury. The vines, now as long as a school bus, reacted to her rage and lashed out at the son of war, sending him flying him ten feet across the dining area.

"Fergus!" Atlanta called out, even as she whipped out her bow and drew an arrow from her quiver. "What the Hades is your deal Viridi!"

"Hooray! Fight to the death! Nothing like a show with my breakfast." Mr. D commented cheerfully while munching on some bacon at Table Twelve.

Several campers drew weapons, each looking at each other nervously, unsure who to side with.

"Enough!" Chiron thundered, stomping his front hooves authoritatively. "All of you calm yourselves! Weapons away in the pavilion."

Fergus stood up, rubbing his scratched up chest.

"Fuck lass, I wouldn't make this shite up on my worst day."

Mr. D snorted, looking bored now. "Honestly, look at you whimpering babes. Getting worked up over a dead little hero. It's nothing new, so what's the, as you kids say, major malfunction?"

"Mr. D." Chiron hissed at him, looking very disapproving, but the god ignored him in favor of breakfast.

"N-Nils is dead? For real?" A son of Aphrodite asked as the entire pavilion fell into silence.

"Do I need to spell it out more clearly for you?" Mr. D asked condescendingly. The boy tried to say something, but the god just continued as if he didn't see him. "Yes, the Head Counselor of Cabin Six got himself killed being an idiot hero, trying to save a bunch of mortals from a mass shooter. He couldn't even do the right thing and die fighting a monster like he should have."

Hearing Mr. D's callous explanation of what happened, Viridi's entire frame shrank in on itself and her plants sank into the ground as she ran off, tears streaming from her eyes.

Soon silence turned into utter outrage.

"Why didn't mother say anything?" A young child of Athena demanded, even as she sniffled.

A son of Hephaestus echoed her sentiments. "Why were we left in the dark?"

"He said he was working on a thesis project at his campus." Gaige said shuttered out, even as Penny awkwardly patted her creator in an attempt at offering comfort. Emily had staggered over as well and pulled both her girlfriend and their robotic daughter into a tight hug as she cried her eyes out.

Back at Table Ten, Ethan looked frozen as he processed the news. Fergus meanwhile, still recovering from the blow Viridi hit him with, limped over to a crying Atlanta and pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"But Nils is crazy strong, what could've killed him?"

Mr. D snorted at this. "A bullet, obviously. Weren't you listening to what I said earlier?"

Rhode sat at her table, stunned by the news. One of the most respected demigods to ever walk through Camp Half-Blood had been snuffed out like it was nothing.

And all because mortals were stupid and shallow beings.

The world could be a cruel place to even the best of people.

* * *

The sun was bright, the air was clean and fresh, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

It was a perfect day for a funeral.

Rhode, like every other demigod, was wearing a black tee-shirt for the funeral. The campfire that was usually vibrant and tall, reflecting the campers mood was now small and colored black.

All the demigods were gathered in the amphitheater where a funeral pyre had been built. Athena Cabin had woven a beautiful grey shroud out of the finest silk that they had decorated with symbols representing all the attributes of the goddess of wisdom as well as a number of things that uniquely symbolized Nils' traits and achievements.

It was the first time Rhode had been to a funeral here at camp, from what she had heard a lot of them happen during the school year. That was because most campers were away from the safety of Camp and end up getting killed by monsters. Or like Nils their demigod luck and/or heroic instincts get them caught up in some more mundane trouble.

Campers went up to the podium, offering their words of praise and love to Nils, speaking of him in the best light they could before walking off it in tears. Amazingly the most vocal had been Fergus, who recited Danny Boy and affectionately called Nils an "Utter Dewb of a Dumbass" for kicking the bucket before they had another scrap like old times.

"See ya down there someday, Boy Wonder." Fergus finished as he slowly stepped off the podium. Chiron soon took his spot and gave his own words.

To Rhode, it was getting repetitive. It felt as though everyone was saying the same things. She kept her opinion to herself however as the centaur, like all the other previous speakers, looked broken up and was struggling to keep his composure.

Viridi was nowhere in sight. No one outside of Cabin Four had seen her since her breakdown in the Dining Pavilion. According to Su, she'd been keeping a distance from her siblings too, choosing instead to hide under the covers of her bed and cry.

Still, all this sadness and all these tears, it rubbed the daughter of Poseidon the wrong way. She didn't like it. It was too sombre.

As the service finished with the burning of Nils' shroud on the pyre, Rhode found herself unable to bottle up her feelings any longer.

Turning to Atlanta whom she'd ended up standing next to, she voiced her opinion. "We should be celebrating the life he lived, not wallowing over the loss. That's not what Nils would want."

"This is how we do things, Rhode." The daughter of Apollo told her with a frown.

"This is so sombre though," Rhode told her in a loud whisper. "We already know about our own mortality, but why shove it in our faces further?"

"That's not the point of the funeral." The archer told her even as her frown deepened. "It's a way for us to show how much we cared for our friend."

"Then shouldn't we do what he would have wanted and celebrate his life instead of all this?" Rhode said in a confused tone, as she swept her hands through the air to indicate the still burning pyre and the mourning campers.

"And not grieve?" Atlanta demanded hotly.

"What? No." Rhode backtracked quickly. "It's just-"

"Just what? You might have the mood to celebrate, Rhode, but the rest of us can't. Not now. So be respectful and let us mourn our friend." With that the Head Counselor of Cabin Seven turned away from Rhode and stalked off, her frame visibly vibrating with barely controlled anger.

"What did I say?" The daughter of Poseidon asked aloud, uncertain at why her friend had got so upset.

Su walked up to her. "Rhode, think about what Atlanta just said."

"I am, but I still don't get it." Rhode confessed to her best friend.

Sighing, the daughter of Demeter was about to explain when Chiron stamped his hoof against the ground to gain everyone's attention.

"I'll explain it to you later." Su said as the two girls turned to face the centaur.

"We all mourn Nils' untimely passing and wish him good fortune wherever he is now. In spite of that and how much it pains me to have to do this now, Athena Cabin needs a new Counselor. To that effect, I would like to use this opportunity to announce that Annabeth Chase has been assigned the role." Chiron declared, the young blonde looking stunned by this.

Rhode's favorite plucky blonde, despite the tears in her eyes, kept herself together as she nodded in acceptance of her new role.

"I graciously accept this position and will do Athena proud."

To the daughter of Poseidon, it was as if the moment that Annabeth had been given this heavy task, the younger girl aged several years. It made her sad. She had hoped that Annabeth could enjoy herself for a while more without shouldering this level of responsibility.

Sure, she understood why the blonde was selected. She was smart and had plenty of experience from her years at camp. Plus she had the respect of her cabin mates.

Rhode still didn't have to like it though.

It was with these mixed feelings that she retired for the night.

It was only the next morning that she and everyone else would learn that the night had brought another tragedy to Camp Half-Blood. While everyone had been sleeping off their grief, Viridi had disappeared into the night. She took nothing with her and left only a single note behind. It simply read: _Goodbye._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Wow, it's been awhile guys, huh? Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> Rhode II is on full throttle! We got developement, we got romance, we got subplots, we got canon, we got character deaths! In chapter one no less. I hope some were attached to Nils, because I know a lot of you enjoyed the OCs we had created. But as they say, the older a demigod gets, the harder it is to stay alive. Remember that my faithful readers.
> 
> Nameless: A little heavy handed with the foreshadowing there, no? Though it's true. So anyways, hope you folks like this pilot chapter for the new 'book' in Rhode's adventures. It was a blast to write. Just doing this one chapter got our creative juices for the story flowing big time. Expect plenty of interesting developments ahead as we implement those ideas and more.
> 
> As for why Rhode wanted a more festive event for a funeral? Well she's still a street kid, she's never had time to sit still and mourn loss, she'd rather remember them fondly and smile at the best they had to offer. Rhode's not one to wallow. Outside of Thalia, her one hypocritical exception, that is.
> 
> Nameless: That said, even in that case she tended to focus a lot more on the happy times than her loss. Or at least tried. There's also a little subtext hidden in the different response too. Namely for all the closeness that Rhode feels with her friends at camp, they aren't her family. It's why she can be so detached when mourning Nils' death. Don't get me wrong, she's still sad and shaken but nowhere as badly as she was with Thalia.
> 
> P.S. from SoA: I know, it's rare I add to the post-chapter commentary, though I felt a need to do so in this case as I feel my busy schedule has kept this long awaited sequel from finally being published as I haven't had time to edit. I apologize to both the readers as well as E4E and Nameless for that. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of the story.
> 
> You all know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace off my peeps!
> 
> And have a good memorial weekend!


	2. This is Why I Can't Have Nice Things

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Two: This is Why I Can't Have Nice Things**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

It was a couple days since Luke had set off on his quest, and Rhode was worrying herself senseless. This was especially true after what had happened to Nils. The son of Athena had died outside camp and now her brother in all but blood was likewise outside its protections.

"He just had to go by himself too, he should have at least taken some questmates."

Annabeth shrugged. "You know how stubborn he can be at times."

"Tell me about it." Rhode agreed with an exasperated sigh. "I swear he's going to be the death of me."

"Well, hopefully this game will distract you from the worrying for a while." Annabeth offered encouragingly as she pushed open the door to the Hephaestus Cabin. Both demigoddesses offered prayers to the forge god as they entered his cabin. The place was messy and full of unfinished gadgets and other junk as always, though an area had been cleared of the rubbish for a large table on which sat a diorama of a blasted wartorn cityscape on which were set up a large collection of figures. Around it sat most of the cabin, though a handful seemed to have decided to just spectate from their steel bunks, and a couple of other campers.

Everyone had gathered for a round of a game that Gaige had introduced to camp a couple years back and which had something of a cult following among the campers. Bethy had fallen under its spell while Rhode had been away at Hogwarts and had become a regular at the weekly gaming sessions. The younger girl had tried to cajole the daughter of Poseidon to join her in the past, but Rhode had always declined.

Until now.

Worried out of her mind about Luke, Rhode was happy for any and all distractions. Even if it was a silly tabletop game.

"How...apocalyptic." Rhode commented as she examined the detailed and finely painted figures. On one side was Gaige's steampunk army of cyborgs? At least that's what she thought they were. On the other was an army of skeletal robots. Neither were to Rhode's tastes, but she could still admire how much effort their owners must have put into getting them ready. She'd seen some of Bethy's unpainted models, so she definitely took her hat off to Gaige and her opponent.

"Oh! Necrons!" Annabeth asked excitedly as she spotted the skeletal figures. "Penny you're playing against Gaige?"

"Yes, the time for the machines have come! We shall destroy the puny organics!"

"Penny, sweetie, you do know that the Necrons aren't really machines right?" Emily corrected gently. "They're more undead. After all, they had their minds trapped in robotic bodies by their treacherous gods after they ate their souls."

"What? B-But I wanted to pretend like I was in that movie where humans were like potato batteries."

"The Matrix?" Gaige asked disgustedly.

"Yes, it was most interesting to see how machines would rule, even if it was ineffectual."

"You know it's a total piece of trash, right? Using humans as batteries? Total hogwash." Gaige grumbled.

"Hey Gaige!" Fergus shouted from his seat where he was fidgeting impatiently. "Stop yer yapping and just start the game already."

"Sheesh! Keep your jog-strap on." The head counselor of Cabin Nine replied as she rolled the cluster of dice in her hand to start the game.

What followed was a chaotic mess to Rhode as Gaige and her synthetic daughter moved their figures around the simulated battlefield of the diorama and rolling dice seemingly for every little thing. Annabeth did her best to explain what was going on and the daughter of Poseidon tried her best to follow the explanation, but it mostly went right over her head.

"I got about a third of that, Bethy."

The plucky blonde puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. "I dumbed it down though."

That _really_ made Rhode feel better.

"How about I just watch and you point out the simple stuff. Besides, the setting is pretty cool."

"And I win!" Gaige declared triumphantly as the match concluded.

"Only because you have overpowered figures, Creator." Penny countered with a pout, even as she put away her figures. "I'll beat you once my Imotekh the Stormlord figure gets delivered."

"So you say, Penny. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" The daughter of fire said as she followed her creation's example and cleared the field for the next set of players.

"Finally!" Fergus declared in mock impatience as he began unpacking his army from the toolbox he'd used to transport them over. "Time for my World Eater Chaos Space Marines to kick some arse!"

"Oh no, the ones whose asses are gonna get kicked are your berserlosers." Annabeth said challengingly as she stepped up to the table and began laying out her own army of figurines. "My Eldar are totally going to wipe the floor with you."

Rhode gently cuffed Annabeth on the head.

"Ow! Hey!"

"No swearing from you." The daughter of Poseidon chided.

Fergus, Gaige and Emily exchanged looks at this before Emily sighed. Reaching over, she smacked the back of Rhode's head.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For disrespecting a fellow Head Counselor." The daughter of Aphrodite told her sternly. "You don't go around treating one of your peers like that."

Rhode frowned at this, she looked at the pouting blonde and folded her arms.

It was hard to wrap her head around the idea that Annabeth was her peer now to be honest. To the child of the sea, Annabeth was her little sister first and foremost. It had only been a few days since Annabeth's elevation to being one of the leaders of Camp.

Realizing her mistake, she winced. It wouldn't do to just scold the girl in public. Something that Rhode had to keep in mind not just with Annabeth, but Su too. What with her Chinese friend being promoted to fill Viridi's vacant post as Head of their cabin.

Getting it all straight in her head was gonna take a while.

"I...yeah. I'm sorry." Rhode apologized to her friend uncertainly.

"It's ok?" Annabeth replied just as confused about the situation.

"Now that that's dealt with." Fergus cut in with finality. "Let's game, lil' girl!"

Her competitive spirit kindled, Annabeth turned to face her opponent with fire in her eyes. "You're going down!"

* * *

A couple days later found the child of the sea sitting by the lake, chatting with the naiads.

"So I was thinking about that party you girls were telling me about." Rhode said as she made complex abstract shapes out of the water. A testament to her growing control over her hydrokinesis.

"You should join us! We'd be the hottest group there." One of the naiads said to her.

"Right? You should see the amount of guys that go after us when we have a lake party."

The demigod furrowed her brow. "I don't know if I'm ready to go looking for guys yet."

"Rhode, with all due respect, you're one of the hottest girls around. You should have started dating ages ago."

"I'm almost fourteen."

"Exactly, you should have been dating at least two years ago."

Rhode tended to forget that nymphs had such a screwed up concept of time when it came to humans.

"I'll take that under advisement."

"We know a few mermen that'd love to date you!" Another chirped excitedly and smiled. "They have amazing abs."

"Again, under advisement." Rhode weakly rebuffed.

Why did nymphs have to be boy crazy at times? Seriously, as long as it wasn't a god they'd gossip forever over it.

"Rhode! Rhode!" Annabeth called out as she ran towards the lake.

The child of the sea god turned to her frantic friend, seeing a crowd of campers in the background rushing towards the Big House.

Concerned, Rhode stood up and looked to the other girl for information. "Annabeth, what's wrong?"

"I-It's Luke, he's back." The blonde told her, her worried grey eyes shifting to the Big House.

"What happened?" Rhode demanded, as she put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders and turned her to face her.

"I don't know, I heard Melissa saying he came back and he was hurt."

The scion of the sea murmured a curse and inclined her head towards the Big House.

"Let's go."

"Right!"

Rhode rushed across Camp, Annabeth hot on her heels, as they headed towards the infirmary. A crowd of campers were blocking the door, each trying to peek inside.

"Make a hole, make a hole!" The daughter of Poseidon shouted as she pushed her way through the throng. Most got out of her way, but a few stubborn or deaf idiots had to be shoved to the side as Rhode made a beeline for her beaten up looking friend lying on one of the infirmary's beds.

"Castellan so help me-! Stop moving, I have to make sure your eye is okay." Rhode heard Atlanta's scolding and saw that she was holding the blonde's head in her hands.

"I'm fine." Luke hissed like a viper, even though one whole side of his face was covered in bandages.

"Chiron, tell him to stop being a punk!" The short daughter of Apollo scowled.

"Luke, listen to her, I have to check for possible poisons that might have been on the claw." The centaur said as he looked up from a large white claw that he was examining to shoot the son of Hermes a reproving look.

"Luke!" Annabeth squeaked as she rushed to his side.

"I thought I said no one was to come in." The head of Cabin Seven frowned at the new head of Cabin Six.

Annabeth ignored the healer as she fretted over the older blond.

"Annabeth, let Atlanta do her thing." Rhode told her as she moved over to Chiron.

"What happened?" The daughter of the seas asked her mentor in a whisper.

"He failed it seems, but he didn't leave without a trophy." Chiron said as he waved his hand over the claw.

"Poison?"

"Ladon is known to have venom in his teeth and is intelligent enough to possibly coat his claws as well."

Rhode looked ready to help, but Chiron waved her off.

"I've already checked. Atlanta, it's clean. How is his eye?" The Trainer asked as he came over to check on the patient himself.

Rhode gave the claw a light glare, but turned to join Chiron and Atlanta. Annabeth had moved over to a chair nearby, trying to not get in the way.

"It checks out so far, but the slash was directly under his right eyelid." Atlanta declared as she removed the ragged bandages to show a jagged scar that was a deep pale line. It ran down from the teen's eye to his chin. "He's already got a scar. But right now, I'm more worried that he might have damaged his eye."

Chiron nodded. "You need a deep scan?"

"Yes." Atlanta agreed.

"Proceed then." The trainer of heroes ordered.

Atlanta nodded and began to sing a gentle hymn. As a result, a gentle light danced around Luke's right eye. She kept this up for a full minute, before she stopped singing and gave a sigh of relief.

"Alright, it looks to be fine, but I can't really do anything about the scar. Sorry."

"Luke, can you tell us what happened?"

"I failed." The son of Hermes said with bite, looking away from Chiron. "What else needs to be said?"

"I understand that," Chiron began slowly, "still, it would help if you could-"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Luke snapped, his anger visible in his eyes.

"Hey, don't shout at Chiron!" Atlanta shouted back at him, and looked ready to give him a smack if the balling of her fist was anything to go by.

The Trainer simply raised his hand in a bid to calm them both. "It's alright. Luke, you rest and we'll talk later. Atlanta, give him some ambrosia and let him sleep. Rhode and Annabeth, please disperse the crowd outside."

"Chiron-" Rhode began, but the centaur cut her off.

"Now please."

Rhode's shoulders sagged a bit as she turned to look at Luke. He had already covered his head with the sheets of the bed. She looked to a worried Annabeth and nudged her, but the young girl didn't seem to want to go.

"Come on, we'll see him later." Rhode promised her in a whisper.

Annabeth reluctantly nodded and the two went to scatter the crowd like Chiron had ordered.

* * *

It was dusk on the Fourth of July and unlike almost everyone else Rhode was scouring around Camp in search of Luke instead of waiting by the beach for the annual fireworks display.

She knew her friend had been in a slump for the past week since his return from his failed quest. As someone who had been there, she knew you couldn't stew on your depression for too long. Thus being the helpful friend she was, she was determined to find him and get him to stop being a brooding party killer.

At the first burst of colors in the sky, the child of Poseidon grunted in annoyance.

"Where is he?" The witch muttered under her breath worriedly.

It took a few more minutes of frantic searching but she eventually found the older teen in the sword fighting arena. Even in the gloom of the setting sun, the blonde was still training. Undeterred by the fading light, he'd lit a host of torches and continued going. Panting and covered in a sheen of sweat, he relentlessly swung his blade in a wild frenzy as he chopped one training dummy after another into kindling.

"Luke!" She called out, surprising him and causing him to miss a swing. Whirling around to see who it was, he frowned at noting that it was Rhode.

"Shouldn't you be at the show?"

"Shouldn't you?" Rhode shot back as she walked into the arena and over the remains of several dummies. Putting her hands on her hips, she addressed her friend sternly. "Bethy and Grov are waiting you know."

Luke just turned around, avoiding her disapproving gaze as he headed towards the bleacher seats for his towel.

"I didn't feel like going." He grunted while wiping his face. Putting his sword down, he took a seat. With his towel hanging around his neck and the way he casually sipped a water bottle, he looked like he normally after a workout. Rhode however knew him well enough to spot the clear signs of tension. The way his fingers twitched in random patterns as he gripped the bottle and the way his eyes darted everywhere but refused to look at her directly.

"Yeah, I figured. Thanks for telling us." Rhode said with a disappointed sigh.

"Whatever, I don't have time for a silly light show."

 _Silly?_ The daughter of Poseidon frowned at this. "So all of us being together is silly?"

"Wha-No!" Luke stammered, strangely surprised by Rhode's reply. _Did he really not think that's how we'd see it._ "It's just-"

"Just what?"

"Just that I need to train. I don't have time to watch fireworks, not anymore."

"And how many more of these moments will we have?" Rhode asked, sounding hurt. Nils was a prime example of this, they could die at any time.

"None. Not if I don't get stronger." Luke declared, as he tossed his water bottle to the side and picked his sword back up. "Only the strong survive. My quest taught me that."

"I know that, Luke. I really do." Rhode said earnestly, alongside a weak smile. "I sometimes wonder if I'm going to survive another year at that dumb school."

She moved to sit next to him, ready to open up and tell him how she felt.

Unfortunately, he wasn't interested. Ignoring her, he just strode back towards the dummies.

The child of the sea balked at just being rebuffed like that.

"If you can say that, Rhode, then you know why I _have_ to do this." Luke said as he begun cutting the dummies to pieces with his sword. "So please just leave me to do what I need to do."

"So you have to push everyone away to be strong?" The girl voiced her hurt, her hands gripping the edge of the bleacher seats.

_Even me?_

She was hurt by this, because the green eyed girl thought they were closer than that. Close enough to at least talk to each other when they were hurting.

Luke stilled for a moment at Rhode's question, before replying without even turning to face her. "If it's what it takes."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the swinging of Luke's sword cutting through straw and the crackle of the torches all that filled the silence of the arena. The distant booms and flashes of color from the show in the distance seeming like a world away.

Rhode watched, her chin in her palms as she tried to think of what to say. She wasn't socially inept, but she wasn't exactly good with her words either. She knew Luke was hurting and it hurt her that she didn't know how to help. It was obvious that he wanted space too, so the least she could do was give it to him.

With a defeated pout, she got up and made to leave. Luke didn't even bother to notice.

"You know what I hear? Some girls like scars." Rhode said, trying to tease him. Maybe, trying to get him to crack a smile would help him start to act like he used to.

That got Luke's attention and he whirled around to glare venomously at her. "It's not about the scar!"

Rhode backed away from the intensity of Luke's response. She'd never seen him so angry before. In that moment, he looked nothing like the boy that she considered her brother. Instead, he looked like someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Unnerved and unwilling to confront the blond when he was like this, Rhode left.

* * *

It was a few days after the Fourth of July and a little over a week after Luke had gotten back from his disastrous quest and Chiron had summoned all the Head Counselors to the Big House to discuss something. As was their custom for such meetings, the leaders of the occupied cabins gathered around the ping pong table and waited for their mentor to start the meeting.

"Good afternoon everyone, I've called all of you here today to make an important announcement." Chiron began, only for Mr. D to snort derisively from the couch where he was lazily flipping through a wine magazine.

Unfazed, the Trainer of Heroes continued. "In light of what happened during the last quest," All eyes turned to Luke but the blond just glared back and they looked away. "We've-"

Mr. D coughed loudly at this, before cutting in. "Don't drag me into this. This was all your idea."

"Very well. _I've_ come up with a new rule." Chiron said through gritted teeth. "Quests are suspended indefinitely."

Chiron had barely finished speaking when an oppressive weight suddenly settled on everyone's shoulders as Thanatos flashed into the room. The god looked timeless and handsome as always, his dark wings folded behind his back. He looked just like the last time Rhode had met him.

"I'm afraid Chiron that your latest unilateral course of action is unacceptable." The stoic god of death said, even as he glared daggers at the centaur.

"Told you the others would throw a fit." Mr. D chimed in, with a smirk full of malicious satisfaction.

Rhode looked at her phone and back at the death god. She hadn't seen this coming.

"My quest is still ongoing and I refuse to have it halted just because you wish to coddle these half-bloods for the failure of one of their number."

Luke tensed at this, but wisely bit his lip to strangle whatever comeback he must have been on the verge of saying. Thankfully he wasn't dumb enough to pick a fight with the god of death.

"Lord Thanatos, I understand." Chion looked thoughtful, before he brightened up as if he'd been inspired with a great idea. "Perhaps-"

"You know if you give angel boy here a pass, then everyone is going to want one." Mr. D mocked from his couch, as he put down his magazine to better watch Chiron squirm.

Thanatos shot the god of madness a look of annoyance.

"As much as I would rather not agree with the Camp Director, he is correct."

For some reason, Mr. D frowned at the winged god. "Laugh it up, bird boy. I won't be stuck here forever."

The psychopomp ignored the threat and instead turned to Chiron. "Well, Trainer of Heroes?"

"Fine. I'll retract the rule." Chiron said with a resigned sigh.

"A wise choice." Thanatos concluded with a nod, before disappearing as abruptly as he'd appeared.

"Death god drops the mic."

"Fergus…"

* * *

It felt like each year was growing longer to Rhode as she stared at her birthday cake.

A pair of candles in the shape of numbers together served to spell out her age: 14. Taking another moment to ponder on the fact that a long year had just passed, Rhode finally blew out the flickering flames atop the shaped columns of wax.

This elicited a cheer from the crowd of friends Rhode had made over the years. And once they were done prompted her friends to come up to where she sat at the head of the dining table they'd dragged into her Cabin to offer her their presents.

Luke, despite their argument on the Fourth of July, had given her a new beanie to replace her old one which was getting worn out. He'd also included a letter apologizing for what happened, though he didn't stick around to hear her reply. Instead, as soon as he'd handed her his gift, he'd used his skill as a son of Hermes to sneak off.

Like her erstwhile old friend, Su's gift was a thoughtful one. The daughter of Demeter had gotten her a cutting of Venomous Tentacula. It was a green, spiky, toothsome plant with mobile vines that Rhode recalled from her Herbolody classes expelled venom from its shoots, had deadly spines and a highly poisonous bite that could be fatal. According to Su, the one she'd gotten her was completely tame and Rhode trusted her. Still, the fanged - or was it thorny? - plant was drooling whenever it sensed her presence. Despite her irrational - probably - fears, she appreciated the gift. The plant would be a great source of poison for her Toxikinesis and it would nicely complement Scorpio's Stinger on the wall where she'd hung the spoil.

Being the prankster he was, Lee had given her a set of magical items useful for setting them up. Nothing too expensive, but still a wide selection of stuff like extendable ears, bags of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and stuff like that. He'd also thoughtfully added a quick guide on how the stuff could be used for general sneaking around. Not that Rhode couldn't figure it out on her own. It was still useful though as it included a couple things she hadn't thought of.

Gaige had apparently decided that as a family she, Emily and Penny only needed to give a single gift: a cleaning robot that looked vaguely like that R2D2 droid from Star Wars. It was designed to do any and all cleaning tasks that Rhode ordered it to. Apparently it was Penny's idea. Considering Emily had told her that Gaige had originally wanted to give her a bazooka that both made and fired cupcakes, Rhode was glad they eventually decided to go with their daughter's idea.

Proving he was the tamer of the twins, Ethan had given her a more mundane gift: A new blouse and skirt combo that he'd personally tailored for her.

Fergus and Atlanta had like with Gaige and family pooled their money to get Rhode a joint gift. In the couple's case this consisted of a new set of quality painting supplies. Considering how pricey some of the stuff could get, it must have cost them quite a bit. As such, Rhode appreciated it greatly.

Jack had kept his traditional theme up and gave her yet another plushie. A Pegasus. Darn him for knowing her great weakness to all things ponies!

Annabeth had gotten her another new book. In a hilarious coincidence, it was on equines. That Rhode had a thing for horses was well known, what with her spending a lot of her free time in the Stables. But even then the likelihood of receiving two horse themed gifts on the same birthday was pretty low. At least she thought so. Nevertheless, she greatly appreciated Bethy's gift immensely.

Next came the gifts from those friends and family who couldn't be there. Stupid Ancient Laws! It was a joint gift from her favorite nereid, Thetis, and her dad Poseidon and amazingly his godly family. Thetis had gifted her a small beautiful seashell. It was shaded with the pastel colors of a sunset that enriched the already beautiful marvel of nature. Her godly family had provided the chain that transformed the shell into a beaded necklace. It was a gorgeous thing that, according to the signed card, had beads that were made out of specifically cyclops forged glass that was as tough as any metal and each contained a miniaturised aquarium that showcased a different aquatic biome. She could even see tiny specks swimming inside the beads!

Rhode's godly family rocked.

"Now eat up." Emily smiled sweetly as she served the first slice of cake to Rhode.

"Thanks." The child of Poseidon accepted the confectionary. Sinking her fork into it, she began to eat and sighed with bliss. "Emily, you're a cake master."

"Oh stop, you'll make me-Fergus! Do not dump my perfectly crafted cake down Lee's pants!"

"He deserves it! He stole my big piece, he wants it he can have it."

Emily threw her hands in the air as the head counselors began to squabble as others just laughed at the sight.

"Rhode, do you have a second?" Annabeth said as she came over, looking nervous.

"Sure, Bethy." Rhode replied with an encouraging smile. "I'll always have time for you."

Annabeth sent a glance at the older campers, shuffling her feet.

The child of Poseidon nudged her head to the side. "Come on, walk with me."

The two sisters stepped to the side of the cabin, near Rhode's art station. She let Annabeth sit in the chair as the cabin's occupant leaned against the windowsill.

"So what's up?"

"I-I got a letter...from my dad." Annabeth told her uncertainly, after a moment of nervous fidgeting. With a fortifying breath, she pulled a folded letter from her pocket. It was covered in cresses, a sign that she'd folded the thing many, many times since she'd received it.

"I got it on my birthday."

Rhode hummed as she read the letter, squinting her eyes a bit. "I saw you get something from your dad, but I didn't want to be nosy."

Annabeth nodded, a look of relief in her eyes. While the daughter of Athena hid it well, Rhode saw through her tough girl act.

"He wants me to come back. My dad. He even sent this." The blonde said as she fished out a college ring from her pocket. The stone in the gold band looked worn, but still well taken care of. "H-He's serious. I mean, this was his biggest keepsake from Athena. Without her, he'd have never made it through Harvard, so this ring symbolizes that."

Rhode quirked a brow at this.

"Long story." Annabeth shook her head dismissively. "But like I said, he's serious. I-I want to give it a try but…"

At her trailing off, the older girl thought on this. Personally, she had dumped her mortal family faster than a bullet could leave a gun. So she couldn't really understand Annabeth's lingering attachment to her own, but she knew better than to tell the other girl that.

"M-Maybe he made up with my aunt and uncle." The blonde blathered excitedly. "I haven't seen Magnus in a while, I miss playing dominos with him. Or maybe even Emma and Aubrey!"

"Didn't know you had an aunt and uncle. What are they like?" Rhode asked, trying to hide her curiosity. She still thought Annabeth going home to her mortal family was a stupid idea, so she didn't want to give her friend the wrong impression. She was genuinely interested in knowing more about her family though, mainly to see if they were all as bad as her dad seemed to be.

"My Uncle Randolph used to teach about Norse History in Harvard. Well, until he was disgraced." The blonde grimaced, before it shifted into a sweet little smile. "My Aunt Natalie was amazingly sweet. She loved the outdoors. She was always out hiking and camping. I used to get jealous when Magnus swore she beat up a bear or something. He could be all talk sometimes."

Rhode shrugged. The things Annabeth were saying were sweet, she guessed. But they didn't really strike her as something to risk her life and happiness over. And that's exactly what she'd be putting on the line if she left camp and went back to her mortal family.

"I think you can safely say you can beat up things stronger than a bear."

"Yep!" Annabeth chirped as she looked at the note again, the paper crinkling as she tightened her hands. "You know, I'm going to try it. I...It might be tough, but you gotta see the world half full, right?"

She looked at Rhode with those large grey eyes, they sparkled with happiness and waited for assurance.

The daughter of Poseidon knew she should either tell her honest opinion, that she was suggesting something stupid. Or that she should pretend to be supportive and offer something encouraging.

In the end, she did neither and just gave a non-committal shrug.

"Sometimes, Bethy, you gotta just go with your gut. You do what you think is best. I can't give you the answer."

Was she being tough? Maybe. But this was one decision that Annabeth had to make on her own. She shouldn't let the opinions of others influence her. Not on something like this.

"I-" Annabeth frowned and looked like she wanted more, but she nonetheless nodded. "Alright, I will."

Rhode ruffled the daughter of Athena's hair, earning a whine from her.

"Attagirl, come on, let's get some more cake." Rhode offered happily. She was glad to finally able to be done with the painful topic of Annabeth's silly decision.

 _Which I just_ know _will come back to bite her in the ass._

Now was the time to party, not worry about the future.

* * *

"Pull the other one." Rhode said to Chiron with a deadpanned expression.

"I assure you. I am most serious."

She still looked dubious.

"That is a shell," the centaur said. "A _petrified seashell_. Millions of years ago, even before the time of the gods, when only Gaia and Ouranos reigned, it was underwater. Part of the sea. In some ways, it still is. All you need to do is tap into that. Something that as a child of Poseidon, you are uniquely able to do."

"So, Go Go Gadget water spout?" Rhode said, as she had unlatched the shell from the necklace. She was holding it forward, shaking her wrist a little.

Chiron just sighed in exasperation at her antics, mumbling to himself softly. "Why do kids do this? Every generation is the same. There's always some idiotic thing they think makes them sound 'cool'."

The daughter of the seas deliberately ignored the centaur's rant. It was no secret that he was having a bad week. Since the debacle with Thanatos, more than a dozen gods had stopped by to give him a talking to. It was thus no surprise that Chiron was stressed out. If he needed to vent a little, she'd let him.

"I don't feel anything from it." Rhode claimed as she examined the shell closely. She shook it a bit with a frown. "Maybe it's only a few thousand years old?"

"Even if it is, that's more than old enough." Chiron informed her. "All you need to do is call on the water within."

Rhode closed her eyes, holding the sea shell to her ear.

"It's not a conch shell, my dear."

The child of Poseidon pouted as she sat down and folded her legs.

"I can _feel_ something, but it's so tiny. It's not even microscopic." She told him, giving it a few sniffs. "Smells like salt water though."

"The connection might take a while to build." Chiron agreed. "You're pulling water through a conduit that's been blocked off for ages. It'll need time to clear the way. So just wait for it."

"So I should meditate with it?"

"Meditation is a calming practice. It may do well with your... temperament." Chiron said carefully. "Though in this case I don't think it's necessary."

He gestured to the shell, from which the faintest trickle of water was now flowing out.

"Hey! I did it." Rhode cheered and got to her feet. "I totally knew that I could do calm and patient."

"Yes, you did." The trainer acknowledged. "Now toss the shell away from you before the main torrent comes."

Rhode blinked in confusion at what he meant, but did as she was told. She was just in time too. The sea shell had just landed on the ground before a torrent of salt water shot out of its calcified depths into the air like a geyser.

"Now command it. Make it smaller!" Chiron shouted over the roar of the water.

"Smaller, smaller." Rhode told the water as the impromptu water spout began to slow down. It took a minute, but the water eventually stopped flowing from the seashell.

_Wow! It's like I have a water tap in my head._

"Now that this little exercise is over, let's review your other skills."

"Sure." Rhode agreed as recovered the shell. "What power would you like to see first?"

"How about you start with your Hydrokinesis and Cryokinesis, since they are immediately complimentary?"

"Any requests?" Rhode asked, her green eyes shimmering with a look of challenge.

"Cheeky. Very well, a double helix."

"Easy."

"In motion." Chiron added with a smirk. "Also add frozen nodes in there."

"...Fine." The daughter of the sea agreed and held up a large amount of water, forming a six foot double helix. She peppered the spiraling streams of water with nodes of ice. The nodes continued to travel up the water column and dissipate as soon as they reached the top only to be replaced by new nodes at the bottom

"Your control is excellent." Chiron commented. "The scale is a little underwhelming however."

"Really want to push me, huh?" The black haired girl grunted as she focused her concentration and tried to enlarge her construct. Unfortunately, she'd only expanded it half a feet when it started to slip out of her control. The streams started blending together into a single column and it started to freeze over.

"No, come on." She muttered, trying to hold it together.

"Hmm." The trainer hummed to himself, as he examined the twisting spire of ice that Rhode's construct had become. "It appears that you lose control when attempting to put more strength behind your powers."

Huffing in disappointment and just a little exhaustion, Rhode nodded. "Yeah, I can still direct my ice and water when I go big. But not with much precision. It also gets tiring a lot faster when I try."

"No need to be disappointed Rhode." The immortal offered reassuringly. "As I've explained before, each demigod inherits a different set of abilities from their godly parents. It just seems you've received precision over raw power."

The green eyed girl nodded. "Makes sense I guess. Being more a tactical striker than a bombardment specialist isn't a bad thing."

"I'm glad you understand." Chiron said with a relieved smile. "Some refuse to accept it and futilely work themselves to the bone trying to develop powers they simply don't have."

Rhode winced at that. She could sympathize though. After all, imagine being a son of Zeus and inheriting none of his powers of the sky but only his powers as a god of justice. She could totally see someone like that going overboard trying to prove his parentage as a son of Zeus by trying to make use of powers he didn't have.

The girl was glad she didn't feel the pressure to be anything but a hero and a proud daughter of Poseidon.

 _In other words, I just gotta be me._ Rhode smiled to herself.

"On the issue of aspects of your godly parent's powers," Chiron continued, pulling the girl from her thoughts. "How about we move on to your Toxikinesis now. Show me what you can do."

"Like this?" Rhode asked with a smirk, as she called on the Tentacula and Scorpio's venom that she had hidden in vials in her socks and made them circle around her in streams.

Chiron nodded. "How about using it offensively?"

Still smirking triumphantly, she sent the two streams of deadly poison like arrows towards an armored dummy. She had the acidic Scorpio's venom eat through the armor before adding insult to injury and adding the Tentacula venom to the mix. If she had done so on a living being, the plant venom would make the creature suffer even more by adding its own deadly effects to the already deadly mix of symptoms that the Scropio's venom would have caused.

"We should find you more toxins." Chiron noted while rubbing his bearded chin contemplatively. "Variety will prove useful."

Calling her poisons back, she asked. "Is that really going to make a difference. I mean, these are pretty toxic."

"Variety is what makes a swiss army knife such a great tool, Rhode. It never hurts to have something, rather than need it and not have it when the time calls for it."

"Huh." She simply said as she corked the vials.

"That's something for you to think on. Moving on, we're almost done for the day." Chiron said, looking up from his watch. "So just one last thing before I release you. You've shown that you can use your father's earthshaking but how about his stormbringing?"

"You want me to call a storm?" Rhode asked skeptically, crossing her arms at the notion.

"I want you to try, yes."

"You don't think I can do it, do you?" She frowned with accusation in her tone.

The centaur shrugged. "I'll be honest and say that I doubt it. It's unlikely that you'd inherit both earthshaking and stormbringing. Both are fringe powers, as it were, for Poseidon. As such having one alone is rare. To have both would be unprecedented."

Rhode nodded. When he put it like that, she could see where he was coming from.

"Well I do like being unprecedented." She joked, as she began to focus her will to reach out to the air around her.

For the longest time nothing happened, until with a sigh of frustration the air fogged over. It wasn't a sign of success though, even Rhode could see that she'd only managed that through her cryokinesis and not any ability to manipulate the weather directly.

"Aw damn!" Rhode scowled in disappointment. "I guess I've got no talent for this."

"I did tell you it was highly unlikely."

"I know. Still hoped I would buck the norm, ya know?" She flashed him a grin.

Chiron chuckled at this as he trotted over, patting her shoulder. "It's fine. You've already bucked the norm in my eyes."

"Glad to hear that."

* * *

Rhode let out a war cry as she lifted her opponent off its feet and slammed them into the ground in a judo flip.

Her opponent was one of the automatons that Hephaestus Cabin had recently started churning out as training aids. Personally, Rhode believed that it was Gaige's siblings trying to imitate her success with Penny, failing and then passing off their failures to other Campers to use for training. Not that the daughter of Poseidon minded, they were useful things after all since they allowed campers to train even when alone and offered them the chance to fight physically superhuman opponents in a safe environment.

Not that that strength was helping the automaton at the moment, as the demigod twisted its arm in such a way that would be painful to a person.

She was just about to make her next move when music spilled out of the speaker in its mouth.

" _Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more~!"_ It sang in a smooth male voice.

Some in the crowd snickered while others groaned.

"Rick Roll, really?"

"It's not a video, so it's not a Rick Roll."

"Still!"

The demigod in the ring ignored the byplay and quickly smashed the automation's face into the ground. Repeatedly.

" _N-N-No moooooreeee-"_ It said as she broke the speaker.

"No more." Rhode said maliciously as she drove her elbow into its unguarded neck, crushing it.

The automation ceased all movement as the lights in its eyes faded.

"Come on Rhode!" Terry from Hephaestus Cabin cried out as he ran up to them. Rhode stood up and got out of his way as he cradled the automation. "All Edwardo wanted to do was sing!"

"Then why am I fighting him?" She asked him dryly with crossed arms.

"It's part of his back story as a struggling artist."

"...Terry get the hell out of the arena." Rhode groaned as she face palmed.

"Fine, I will!" Terry huffed, dragging his defeated automation with him.

The child of Poseidon turned to Charles Beckendorf with a quirked brow. The tall son of the smith simply shrugged his broad shoulders in response.

"Artists." Rhode rolled her eyes, the irony was not lost on her as she went for her towel and water bottle. A chime reached her ears and she looked at her godly phone, which had recently morphed into a Motorola Razr V3. She flipped it open to see the text she had received.

_Hello Rhode,_

_The time has come to deal with the Locket Horcrux. Do your father and I proud._

_Thanatos_

The daughter of Poseidon blinked in confusion as she looked up from her phone. "The time has come? What does he me-"

She was cut off when her phone began to ring.

Noting the unknown U.K. number, she hit the answer button. "You've got Rhode."

" _RHODE! YOU THERE?"_ The scion of the sea cringed as she pulled the phone from her ear as the shout became so loud that everyone around her could hear it. _"I'M ON THE LINE BECAUSE I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. IS THIS THING WORKING? ARTHUR SAID YOU HAVE TO SHOUT TO MAKE THIS THING WORK. ANYWAY-"_

"SHUT UP!" Rhode roared into the phone, even as she glared daggers at the device. She was doing her best to burn a hole into the person on the other side of the line. "TALK LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

Some began to snicker at the girl, but she quickly turned her deadly gaze upon them. "Chucky stop their laughing or I'm training with them next."

" _H-Hello?"_ Now that man wasn't screaming to Olympus and back, she recognized the voice as Sirius Black. Her wayward supposed godfather and weird kinda uncle, that she didn't want but had no choice but to live with.

"What is it Sirius? And how did you even get this-Ron…" She glowered at the idea that the boy was passing around her number as if it was candy now. She knew she never should have been his friend.

" _Yeah, Arthur's youngest lad. Look, I was wondering if you could come over to my place in London. I wanted to chat with you."_

"And why the hell should I do that?" Rhode replied reflexively.

" _Wha- Why? Because I'm your godfa-"_ Sirius began rambling angrily but Rhode tuned him out, instead choosing to think on the timing of Thanatos' message.

 _And I just so happen to get a text from Thanatos right before you call. Great, the locket must be there._ Rhode inwardly sighed and looked up at some clouds. "Fine Sirius, give me your address and I'll be there in a bit."

" _Great! It's Number Twelve Grimmauld Place."_ Sirius said cheerfully. _"I'll see you in an hour."_

Rhode just snorted at his presumption. "I'll show up, when I show up. No sooner."

Without waiting for a reply, Rhode flipped the phone close with a frown.

"London here I come."

* * *

"Look, I know you live in the States now." Sirius began as they sat in the dining room. He had tried to cajole her up the stairs and into the drawing room, but she wasn't here for the company and so had refused. "I know Dumbledore did that whole silly trail thing to get you to stay here. He had no right to do that though, it wasn't his call."

Rhode did her best to listen to what he had to say, but she was too disinterested. Instead, she began to play with a loose thread of her green tee-shirt and absentmindedly tapped her fingers against the leg of her jeans.

"What I'm saying is, I'd like you to stay with me. Be a family, like we should've been."

With a deep exhale, Rhode shook her head.

"Look, Sirius, I don't even know you." She began, and cut him off swiftly as he tried to argue. "Shush, it's my turn. We're _not_ a family. You _didn't_ raise me. Hell, I raised myself mostly and with the help of the people I met when I lived on the streets."

The man seemed to flinch at this, a pained look entering his sunken eyes.

"I've got a real family back home who I'm not willing to leave for anything. They love me for me." Rhode bluntly told him as she recalled all the times that he had referred to her as her stepfather, James.

She was a chick for crying out loud! How the man could mix the two of them up was beyond her.

"We've got no link other than my parents, who I'm not all that fond of myself. So I'm putting a stop to this now because frankly it's been dragging out for too long. We're barely acquaintances. That's all it's going to be. Get on with your life that I helped give you."

The man seemed stunned as she verbally lashed out at him, looking like the broken shell of a man that he had been after he'd helped identify Lupin's corpse.

She headed towards the main hallway so she could leave. "I wish you good health. Try and take care of yourself. Cheers, Sirius."

He was just standing to intercept her and she was just stepping into past the stairwell when suddenly she heard a loud, ominous hiss. Pausing in her step, she turned to look up the stairs to see what had caused the sound. This gave Sirius the chance and he reached out to grab her arm. At this, she turned to stare at his hand on her arm. For a moment, she thought about breaking the offending limb at a ninety degree angle.

"I'm your _godfather_! That gives me the right to take care of you."

"And you _lost_ those rights the second you chased after the rat!" Rhode hissed at him, her rage building as a chill filled the air. She ripped her arm from his grasp and shoved a finger in his face. "You picked revenge over me! In my mind, that speaks volumes."

The man stood speechless at this. He tried to form words, but nothing came out as his shoulders slacked. Another hiss echoed through the house and Rhode turned to look upstairs where the sound seemed to originate from.

Since he didn't have anything to say, Rhode decided it was time to finish dealing with him and focus on what was important. "Good bye, Sirius. And do yourself a favor and lose the beard, you look like a hobo."

The sound of something massive slithering through the halls resounded through the house.

Just as her hand landed on the door knob, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Listening to her instincts, her other hand quickly moved under her shirt to the small of her back and the hilt of her dagger.

Her instincts screamed at her again and she slamming her feet against the door and pushed off. She managed a good distance before landing on her back. She was just in time too as her impromptu gymnastics allowed her to narrowly avoid being killed by something massive crashing into the door.

Quickly getting to her feet, her sea green eyes widened as she eyed what had attacked her. _How is that thing in the house?!_

Her attacker was a massive snake. One whose flesh was made out of raw energy and an incomplete outer skin of crushed furniture and knick knacks. However, the serpent was so immense that this 'skin' only existed in patches that were few and far between. This was intimidating enough, but the monster had a macabre edge to it that made it all the more fear inducing: looking through the translucent flesh, she could make out the shriveled corpse of a house elf. One with a weighty locket hanging from his neck.

_That's gotta be the Horcrux._

" **Potter! Die!** " An inhuman voice hissed as the serpent lunged at her once more.

"It's Evans!" She said on reflex as she jumped out of the way, tackling Sirius to the ground as she did. The beast flew over them both as she rolled them back into the dining room as the monster's bulk fell to the floor of the main hallway.

_Damn. This thing is almost as big as the Basilisk from Second Year._

Scrambling to her feet, she pulled out her dagger and slapped her sea glass cuff bracelet, causing a beautifully decorated celestial bronze shield to appear on her wrist that she hastily held out in front of her. "Sirius, get out of here now. I'm going to kill it and I don't want you to be around to get in my way."

The massive snake's head reared back and it turned to glare at the two of them with its glowing eyes.

" **Give up. It's so much easier to give in.** " It hissed almost soothingly, sending odd tingles up her spine.

"Yeah. Giving up, sounds good." Sirius mumbled distractedly as he stumbled to his feet.

"Are you dumb?" Rhode asked the man, keeping her gaze firmly on the Horcrux. "Just get out of here!"

She heard him stepping forward and turned to glance back at him. He was behaving like a zombie and shambling towards the beast as if he was possessed.

Acting quickly, Rhode lashed out with her dagger hand and swiftly punched him in the temple. The blow was enough to send the man stumbling back, thankfully away from the monster.

She glanced back at the large material snake. _So that's what that sensation is. It's trying to lure us in with some kind of compulsion to get an easy snack._

" **I shall devour you!** " The beast sprung at her, its maw opened wide.

Rhode made a grab for her seashell and pointed it towards the creature, "Chug on this!"

The daughter of the sea had only intended to summon a small jet of water from the shell, unfortunately it seemed her single practice session with using this aspect of her power ill prepared her for what was to come. Instead, of the small but powerful jet of water she'd wanted, she felt a surge of her strength seep into the shell as a massive torrent of water surged forth. She instinctively realized that she'd opened a hole to the ocean's depths and the huge pressure difference was now translating into a tremendously powerful jet of seawater.

"Whoa!" Rhode cried out as the force of the water sent her flying backwards to slam painfully through a wall, causing her to lose her hold on the shell in the process and thus cutting off the water jet. But not before it disintegrated the monster, blasted a hole through the rest of Number Twelve, and cut right through a couple of buildings next door.

"No, no, no!" Rhode screamed in horror at what she'd done, as she stared at the devastation she'd wrought. In the rubble of what clearly had been a teenager's bedroom and under a piece of collapsed roof were what the demigod could make out as the crushed remains of a couple of young men. One of them of was still clutching onto the controller of a video game console. In another part of the same building, a shellshocked little girl was staring into the empty space of what likely had been part of her house and mumbling the word "Mummy" over and over again.

 _The people living in those houses…_ Horror ate at her very core as she could hear the cries and screams of mortals outside. _I-I killed them._

She was so shellshocked by this, she barely noted that the material serpent had begun to reform, using the broken debris around it to grow even larger than before.

She staggered to her feet, a pained hiss coming from her lips as she attempted to move her battered body. Her introduction to the wall had been extremely violent and had left her badly injured. She was fairly sure she'd broken at least a couple ribs and probably a handful of other bones as well.

With a roar the monster levitated a large number of debris and sent them hurtling towards her. Her injuries and state of mind dulled the child of Poseidon's reaction time and she wasn't fast enough to dodge as a fridge slammed into her chest.

 _That definitely shattered something._ The demigod observed. She couldn't tell however if it was the shell hanging from her chest or her ribs. Not that it mattered, she was in too much agony to care anyways. Her pain was added to by the burning sensation in her side. Turning her head to see what was adding to her suffering, she saw her shirt had been eaten through as the vials of poison she had brought with her had cracked and their deadly contents were leaking onto her skin.

 _Oh shit!_ The demigod cursed, as she tried to muster her strength to push the fridge off and get away from the poisons. Unfortunately, her battered body was sluggish and the appliance that had her pinned was too heavy besides to move on her own.

" **Goodbye, Potter.** " The serpent monster hissed ominously, reminding Rhode of the monster out for her blood.

Acting desperately she called on her toxikinesis and sent all the poison she could reach out to, not just those from her cracked vials but also bottles of bleach and other deadly household chemicals in the neighborhood, flying at the creature. There was no plan to this, no carefully considered or scripted move. It was pure adrenaline driven instinct that caused all the chemicals to mix together into a deadly caustic mixture that smothered the monster and ate away at its mass.

" **What is this? What are you doing?** " The Horcrux screamed as it flailed about in a futile attempt to cleanse itself of the toxins that were eating away at its body.

Rhode wasn't paying much attention to the monster beyond seeing that it was on the backfoot. She was too preoccupied with using her powers in a bid to save her life. Using every ounce of focus she could muster she called on the water in the area to heal her extensive injuries. The water that now flooded the whole area eagerly answered her call and surged to her side and quickly pushed aside the fridge keeping her pinned and encapsulated her wrecked body in a bubble of liquid. Recalling what she'd learnt about healing with water, she tried to heal her injuries. The cuts, bruises and broken bones she fixed easily, but when it came to the damage caused by her toxins and the shattered bones, she was stumped.

 _Should have paid more attention in Chiron and Atlanta's lessons._ The sea child chided herself, unaware that her shift in attention had meant that her grip on her toxikinesis had faded thus giving her opponent the space it needed to recover.

The green eyed girl's ruminations were interrupted when her monstrous enemy chose to make itself known once more and crashed into the water bubble, easily scattering the healing water with the force of the blow and sending the demigod slamming through the floor of Number Twelve's ground level and into the basement kitchen.

"Argh!" Rhode screamed as her body endured even more punishment. She was fairly sure that the only thing keeping her from already being reduced to a bloody smear was her demigod durability.

Pushing the pain and her morbid thoughts away, she called on her toxikinesis once more and collecting the toxins, she turned the mass into a large thin screen of poison that she proceeded to cover the creature's entire impressive bulk.

It released a earsplitting bellow that caused the child of the sea to flinch, but Rhode never lost her focus - she'd seen what it had cost her last time - and she just squinted her eyes and kept her concentration up. Slowly, methodically the layer of toxins ate away at the serpent.

All the while the creature writhed and slammed its bulk at the already badly damaged ground floor of Number Twelve.

" **Potter! If I die, I'm taking you with me!** " Voldemort hissed as with a final impact he managed to cause the whole floor above to come crushing down into the basement.

It was its last hurrah however as even as chunks of concrete began falling towards her, Rhode saw the snake's body disintegrate as a burst of dark unnatural smoke and a twisted scream emerged from a hunk of gold that her toxins melted into slag.

With her enemy dealt with, Rhode quickly pulled her poisons to her and had them form a protective dome around her. All around her there was the sound of heavy objects crashing to the ground with force. Closing her eyes, she offered a silent prayer to her father that her last second defence would hold.

A minute later and when the sound of falling objects tapered off, Rhode cautiously opened her eyes and dismissed her protective shield of poisons. All around her was the ruins of what had once been Number Twelve, and lying in the corner was Sirius with his wand out and surrounded by what looked like a bubble of magic that was even now fading.

"Rhode! Merlin, are you okay?" The wizard asked worriedly as he rushed over.

The demigod ignored him, instead calling on the water again to heal what she could. Looking at the wounds to her side caused by her own toxins, she gave a relieved sigh.

"At least they weren't in my socks this time. I'd be short a foot, if they were."

She chuckled in delirious pain and eyed Sirius.

"Can't move arms. Phone, in pocket. Gimme." She ordered the wizard, as she regained control of herself.

"Phone? What good is that now?" Black demanded. "We need to get you to St. Mungo's!"

"Oh just shut up!" Rhode declared as she used her hydrokinesis to slap the man with a tendril of water while shooting him a death glare. At the same time, realizing she'd get no help from the pathetic excuse of a man, she had another tendril of water gingerly reach into her jeans pocket and pull out her phone.

It wasn't easy though, as drained as she was by the fight, the daughter of Poseidon barely had any strength left.

 _Thank Olympus for godly engineering._ Rhode thought to herself with a relieved sigh as her watery appendage passed her the device. _A normal phone would have been wrecked in the fight._

Still using the tentacle like stream of water as her makeshift hand, she scrolled through her contacts list in search of the one being she _knew_ could help her in this situation.

"Where, where, where, found you!" She smiled in triumph and selected the contact on her list. She turned it on speakerphone and the ringing filled her ears.

" _Hello, you've reached the handsomest god on Olympus! How can the sun lord help you."_

"Help, favor, dying." Rhode gasped out as the last of her strength left her, the phone clattering to the ground.

She couldn't hear what the sun god said in response as her eyes fluttered shut, but not before seeing a bright light.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> Man, that chapter went from happy to grim in a snap! And you wonder why Rick never brought back that seashell thing with Percy. This is why, it's so fucking OP! Like, ridiculous.
> 
> Nameless: Yup. Once we realized that, we knew we had to get rid of it. But instead of going back and editing it out we decided to challenge ourselves a little and this is the result. Rhode loses control of her new power and ends up killing innocent people. Her opponent notices how deadly the sea shell is in her hands and targets it, thus leading to its destruction. Furthermore, her angst over the results of her reckless and unnecessary use of a power she has yet to master also turned a straightforward fight where she should have easily won into one which very nearly got her killed.
> 
> This is called a power lock people, deal with it. Yes, Rhode killed a few people and wrecked their homes, but then again Grimmauld place was a pretty shitty neighborhood to begin with so some houses may have been empty so the death toll might not be as high as you'd think. Does she know that? Who knows!
> 
> Alright, grimdark stuff out of the way, let's go back to the sunny side of the chapter. Rhode had her B-Day, presents and cake all around, we worked hard on the Poseidon gift part, that turned out to be really special. Sure she lost the shell part, but the necklace itself is really cool. We did a nice training scene, now Rhode is a control type, we thought that would be a nice difference from Percy who is a clear power type.
> 
> Nameless: Practically this means that Rhode won't be pulling off hurricanes or blizzards. She can't pull out the power for something like that. She can however do things on a small scale with water and ice that Percy never could.
> 
> We pretty much cut all ties to Sirius, but with how this chapter ended, who can guess what the man thinks now. And speaking of the men in her life, we got broody Luke! The traitor is born, how will Rhode deal with this darker-er-er Luke. Er. And onto the other blonde in Rhode's life, Annabeth got her family letter to come home, and we all know how that went. Wanted to get into that and I liked the Magnus bit we dropped, even though he's an utter disappointment to read. Yeah, I said it, come at me bro! Hopefully it's just a trilogy and not a five book series. Please gods.
> 
> Nameless: Yup, we finally settled the Sirius question. Plenty of people kept hoping that there was some connection between him and Rhode left or that they'd reconnect. Well, too bad. That was just wishful thinking on their parts. We've repeatedly emphasized that Rhode doesn't want to look back on her wizarding heritage beyond learning magic, but people still insisted on reading subtext that isn't there. Well, we hoped we spelled things out clearly enough for you guys this time.
> 
> Darker Luke… We have delicious plans for him. Look forward to it. Let's just say his obsession with Annabeth in canon has a different target this time around and circumstances that will make it more intense.
> 
> Alright, you guys know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	3. The Searing Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Three: The Searing Truth**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

As Rhode returned to the land of the living, she found herself staring at a frustratingly familiar ceiling.

 _I'm in the Camp infirmary? How?_ The daughter of Poseidon thought to herself as she looked around to try to piece together some answers.

Immediately, she noticed that she was not alone. Seated in a chair next to her was a extremely handsome young man in a tee-shirt and jeans with a golden laurel wreath across his brow. Despite his good looks though, he put her on edge. He radiated power, enough that Rhode was immediately wary.

He flashed her a brilliant smile. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. Had a good rest?"

"Uh, yes?" She replied uncertainly, "Lord Apollo?"

"That's me." The god confirmed with a literally glowing smile. "Good thing I got to you when I did. I mean, you'd be dead right now if I didn't heal you. Also, bad idea to carry deadly poison on your person so carelessly."

"I-Yeah," Rhode nodded, "Trust me, I won't be doing that again. And thank you for answering my call, I appreciate it."

The sun god offered her another shining smile. "I'm always available to help out a pretty lady."

Rhode's cheeks grew hot at this and she looked slightly to the side. It was hard not to feel flustered when such a handsome guy kept calling you pretty or beautiful.

The god frowned a little and sighed, "Sorry about that, I can't help myself sometimes."

"Huh?"

"Flirt." The god of youth explained. "I'm trying to be serious here, but I'm flirting. Really need to work on that."

The child of the sea's blush grew even more intense at that. The god was _flirting_ with her.

Sighing once more, Apollo reached over and pinched Rhode's cheek. "Stop that. Please. Like I said, I'm trying to be serious right now."

"I-I'm sorry, but I'm not used to that." Rhode said, rubbing her cheek. "You've got my utmost attention."

"I hate having to do this." Frowning in frustration, the god snapped his fingers. Immediately, Rhode felt as if someone had dunked ice water over her head. All the heat she'd felt at the god's roguish charm was suddenly extinguished.

"Whoa, didn't know you could turn that off." Rhode said, shaking her head. Turning to face the god, she gave him her full attention. "So what can I do for you? I kinda owe you big time."

"Yes you do! If not for me, you'd still be back dying in that war zone." Apollo acknowledged.

"You brought me back to Camp?"

The god nodded. "I wanted to speak with you, and doing so there would have been troublesome."

The demigod caught on to his meaning. Having a chat in a wrecked London neighborhood probably wasn't the best idea, especially not when it was almost certainly minutes away from crawling with wizards.

_Wizards? Oh shite!_

"Sirius?" Rhode asked worriedly. She may not like the man, but he was still sorta, kinda her family.

"Alive." The Olympian said with a dismissive shrug.

"That's good. Least I didn't fuck that up." Rhode stated with a downcast look.

"I'm afraid you most certainly did." Apollo told her with a reproving look. "Enough in fact, that you've earned Ares' favor."

Rhode shot him a confused glance.

"You 'earned' his contact number. It's been added to your phone." The god informed her in a disgusted tone. "Oh, and the pig wanted me to tell you and I'm quoting him here: 'I'm impressed with all the death and destruction. Keep it up girlie.'"

"...I think I just threw up a little in my mouth." Rhode said in disgust.

The god shot her an unsympathetic look. "At least, you know better than to accept the brute's praise for what you've done."

"I'm not some monster, I did something terrible and I can own up to that. I just, I don't know what to do right now."

The god of truth looked at her searchingly for a long moment at that, before at last nodding. "No you're not a monster. Though at the moment, I find it hard to call you a hero either."

That stung. More than anything Rhode had endured in a long time.

The room settled into an awkward silence as Rhode tried to avoid the god's gaze while he stared at her with a mixture of disappointment and admonishment. Thankfully, the oppressive atmosphere was broken only a minute later when the door opened and Chiron trotted in.

"Lord Apollo, Rhode," the centaur greeted as he came over to the demigod's bedside.

"Chiron," the god returned as he stood. Turning back to Rhode, he said. "Now that Chiron is here, I'll be going. He'll take care of you."

"Thank you again, Lord Apollo."

The god waved her thanks away. "It was nothing. One last thing before I go. A warning. Sometimes keeping things in the past is for the best."

With those parting cryptic words, the god vanished.

"That's already a policy of mine though." Rhode frowned in confusion.

"Perhaps Lord Apollo is reminding you that you should apply it to this incident as well?" Chiron offered.

Laying back into her pillow, Rhode looked at the Trainer with a disappointed expression. "I fucked up."

"Epicly." Chiron frowned as he stood by her side. "What were you thinking, young lady? Using a power you barely have touched upon! Do you understand the consequences of this? This is something that cannot be overlooked."

She winced from the verbal lashing and said, "I already said I messed up. I know I did. What more can I say, Chiron? I'm sorry! Which we both know is utterly cheap right now."

The sophisticated centaur sighed, rubbing his face in irritation. "I'm glad that you understand that. For now though, I'm just thankful you're alright. That said, know that I will be keeping an eye on you for the rest of the summer."

"Fine."

"You'll be in the infirmary for the rest of the day for observation." The centaur said as he began examining her for any injuries.

 _More like grounding me._ Rhode mentally rolled her eyes, even as she put up with her mentor's ministrations. Honestly, he didn't have to sugarcoat it, she was a big girl.

"Rest child." Chiron told her, as he finished his examination.

The daughter of Poseidon just nodded and with another sigh, the centaur turned and walked off.

Left alone, Rhode began to stew on what had happened. As she recalled the images of the destruction she'd caused, she began to sweat and her breathing picked up. She rubbed her eyes with her palms, silently cursing herself for being so stupid. The child of the sea was better than that, she should have done something else.

Fortunately, she was broken out of her painful recollection by the sound of the door opening.

"Hey Rhode," Lee greeted as he came in. "Heard from Chiron that you're awake. So I came to visit."

Quickly composing herself, Rhode returned the greeting. "Oh hey Lee. Yeah, as you can see I'm up."

The son of Hermes cocked a brow at her, but didn't mention anything about her behavior.

"So you've made the news again." Lee said as he took a seat, while Rhode groaned. "Internationally, even."

"What do you mean?"

"That 'gas explosion'," Rhode shot him a confused look and he shrugged. "That's what they're calling it. Anyways, the explosion is front page news everywhere. The Guardian, the New York Times, the Washington Post. Everywhere."

"You're kidding me!"

"Nope. Sorry."

"Do the muggles know I did it?"

"Thankfully not." Lee reassured. "Even the wizards think Sirius did it, not you."

"Thank the gods for small favors. Wait! Will Sirius be okay?"

"He'll be fine." Lee reassured. "Mum says that the DMLE has no case. All 'evidence' points to a gas explosion due to a leak. A complete accident."

"How?"

"How else? The Mist of course." Lee explained with a shrug. "That means that everyone in Camp knows though."

"Mr. D?" Rhode asked with a deadpan expression.

"He told everyone how the whole thing went down and then hung the New York Times article in his room. Frame and everything."

"Typical." The child of Poseidon rolled her eyes. "So how bad?"

Lee rubbed the back of his neck, "It's not pretty. Think cocky newbie with quest screw up and dead questmates times ten."

"Not that I don't deserve it." Rhode shook her head. She offered him a small smile. "You got a line for me, Lee? I can take it."

Lee frowned at her, "I'm not a sheep, Rhode. I'm not going to beat you up for this. Just expect a lot of talk behind your back."

"I can manage."

The son of Hermes patted her shoulder, "I know you can. You've still got friends here Rhode, so don't think you're alone."

 _I'm at home, I'm never alone._ Rhode thought.

"Hey, I'm going to rest up. Let Bethy and Luke know I'm okay?"

"Not sure about King of Brood, but I'll let the lil' monster know."

Rhode looked confused by the latter nickname, but shrugged it off. Lee was weird like that.

The son of Hermes departed and left Rhode to stew over recent events.

 _Maybe I should just give up on Thanatos' quest._ She couldn't help but think in depression. _I already screwed up so badly, what else can I do wrong?_

All she had was one item left, the Cup of Hufflepuff. Then the Horcruxes are gone for good.

She balled her fists and pounded them on the bed. _No, I can't do that. Giving up just means all those lost lives would be meaningless._

A fire kindled in her sea green eyes as she vowed to end this.

_I swear that by summer's end, Voldemort will be done for._

* * *

Rhode was resting in her cabin, sitting in her bed with a sketchpad in hand and was idly spending her free time by doodling out some simple sketches. Frustration filled her as she tore the page out and crumpled it up. Tossing it to the floor, it joined the other rejected works laying about.

"Ugh! All terrible!" She vented in anger and chucked her sketchpad to the side, throwing herself into her pillows. "No more drawing today."

Her inspiration as of late was as low as the deepest depths of the sea.

"Dammit! I can't even think of anything right now."

The girl would have just gone to bed to try to take the edge off. Sadly, every time that Rhode tried to do so, her mind would flash back to the aftermath of what she had done. It plagued her dreams every night, making it hard to rest.

Punching a pillow, she flipped around and buried her face into her pillows.

"Yo Rhode, you in there?" The excited voice of her friend, Jack Overland, called out suddenly from outside her front door.

_What's Jack doing here?_

It was a legitimate question to ask, considering Rhode's current near pariah status in Camp. Okay, maybe she was exaggerating a little there, but many campers had been keeping their distance from her lately. Only her closest friends, the other Head Counselors and a few others, were sticking by her and even then some of them like Ethan and Atlanta were a little cautious around her these days too. And even the most understanding were giving her space.

Rhode got where they were coming from. She'd killed innocent people, thus breaking one of the greatest taboos of being a demigod. They were all right to be angry and wary of her.

Taking all that into account, Rhode honestly couldn't see why Jack had suddenly showed up at her Cabin shouting to see her. Curious to find out what had brought her friend here, she pushed off her bed and headed over to the door.

Absent-mindedly, she grabbed the beanie off her bedpost and shoved her messy tresses under it. It was the one that Luke had given her at her last birthday, a black slouchy one. Hanging off the other bedpost was the green and black one that Thalia had given her so long ago. The colors were faded, threads stuck out, and it had its fair share of battle scars.

It made her feel wistful every time she looked at it, as it made her recall simpler times. Sure, Rhode could have fixed it up with magic easily enough. That would have meant altering it though, which was something she didn't want. Instead, she decided to set it aside from now on and have it just be a reminder of her dearest friend.

"I'm here." Rhode called back, as she opened the door and leaned against the frame. "What's up, Jack?"

Looking more hyped than she'd ever seen him, the son of Khione was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he replied. "I've got a quest!"

Rhode could only cock a brow at this, "Jack, we already had the summer quest done though."

"Rhode, we can have more than one quest a summer. We just usually only have one is all, less things for Chiron to fret about."

"Okay," Rhode agreed, that made sense. "So why are you telling me this?"

The daughter of Poseidon had a good idea, but she wanted Jack to confirm it.

"What do you think? I want you to join me on the quest." The boy explained with an amused smile at Rhode's apparent cluelessness.

Rhode sighed at that. She had a feeling that was what Jack was about to say.

"Look, Jack, I don't think I'm ready for another outing right now." Rhode confessed. After the disastrous outcome on her last trip out of Camp, she was leery of leaving the safety of home at the moment.

"So you're going to turtle up inside your cabin for the rest of the summer?" Jack asked her, crossing his arms. "Come on! You're better than that!"

The child of Poseidon looked to the side, hugging her arms, "I don't really think I am."

"Well, I think you are." Jack shot back. "If you can't trust your judgement, then trust mine. You do trust me, right?"

Turning back to look at him, she looked the boy up and down and offered him a tiny smile. "Half the time?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Okay, I'll go." Rhode conceded. "But I still say it's a bad idea."

"Stop being so pessimistic. Everything'll be fine."

Rhode frowned. "Why in the world are you so confident about this quest?"

"My mom wants me to go see my mortal grandma and pick up something." Jack said with an infectious excitement as he began to explain

Rhode frowned, as she cut in. "I thought you didn't like your dad."

"Sure, he might have dumped me here. But I've never met my grandma! I never even knew I had one. So I'm pumped to get to know her." The white haired boy said, "Plus, the Prophecy said something about 'Not molested along your way' so this is going to be a breeze. In fact, the only monster we'll meet is at the very end and I'm sure we can take any one monster."

"That sounds both encouraging and kind of boring." The scion of the sea pouted.

"Chiron said pretty much the same thing, only without the boring part." Jack agreed. "He did mutter something about the quest being a bad idea though. I honestly don't get what he's on about? Why would an easy quest be a bad idea?"

That set alarm bells ringing in Rhode's head. If Chiron was worried, then there was something really rotten about this quest.

"What's the whole prophecy?" The brunette girl asked, hoping that the complete prophecy would offer some insight into what was going on.

Jack shrugged, "I didn't really bother to memorize the rest after the first line about being 'unmolested'."

That didn't make sense, usually a prophecy was seared into the mind of the main quester. Rhode didn't know if that was some power of the Oracle's or an effect of Campers realizing how important they were and memorizing them, but she'd _never_ met a quester who received a prophecy and just forgot it.

"Jack, don't you think that's fishy?"

"Should I?" The son of Khione replied, sounding confused.

Rhode blinked at that. If Jack thought that it was fine then maybe it was. After all, he had been in Camp longer than she was, practically his whole life, and had surely met more questers than she had. He'd know if something was wrong, wouldn't he? Even as she thought this though, she couldn't completely shake her growing sense of unease.

"I guess not." The child of the seas said with a shrug. She was still worried for her friend, so she added. "Someone has to keep you out of trouble and I'll need help. Who else is going with us?"

"I don't get into that much trouble. And I dunno yet." The son of snow admitted. "You're the first person I asked. I'm thinking of asking Lee next."

Rhode let out a laugh at this, "You're thinking of going with _Lee_? Then I'm coming for sure. No way you two _won't_ get into trouble somehow along the way."

"Fine, by all means, Princess." Jack teased her and began to float in the air. "Pack light."

"I've traveled before, Snowflake. I know how to pack. So where are we going anyway?"

"Niagara Falls!" Jack shouted as he departed.

* * *

"So Jack, you have a picture of your grandma?" Lee asked, as he and his fellow questers sat on the greyhound bus. "You know, so we know who we're looking for."

"Nope, just an address." Jack said as he leaned back into his seat.

Rhode hummed at that as she concentrated on her sketchpad.

"How about her phone number?" Lee pressed. "I mean we don't want to show up at her door uninvited. It'd be rude."

"If that was the case, he could have just called her to mail it to camp." The child of Poseidon commented.

"The Princess has got the rights of it." Jack said in a mock upper crust British accent.

Rhode socked the boy in the arm for the double tease.

"Then do you at least know what we're supposed to pick up?"

Jack shrugged. "Not a clue. My gran will know what it is though. I think."

Rhode rolled her eyes, "This is starting off to a great start. And I thought blondes were supposed to be scatter-brains?"

"Don't let Chase hear that." Jack smirked.

Scoffing, the child of Poseidon said, "She can be though, just look at how she gets once she's wrapped up in a hobby. I love her, but she'll always be scatter-brained to me."

Lee snickered in clear agreement while Jack's smile showed he agreed.

"I just wish we didn't have to drive up to the border though." Rhode signed. "It's such a long trip."

 _The bus is already starting to get cramped._ The daughter of the seas mused worriedly.

"We could fly, but someone is on Zeus' personal no-fly list." Lee told her bluntly.

"Not my fault he'd smite an entire plane if I went into the sky. Besides, even if he wouldn't, I'd never go on a plane." Rhode shuddered at the very notion. "Flying deathtraps."

Lee rolled his eyes at her, "Please, they're perfectly safe. You're just being biased due to your parentage."

Rhode maturely stuck her tongue out at him and went back to her drawing.

Ignoring her, Lee continued. "Besides, thanks to the delay earlier we're already running later than we planned."

"Relax Lee." Jack replied without a hint of concern. "It's not like we have a time limit."

"Jack's got you there Lee." Rhode said with a frustrated frown as she looked up from her sketchpad.

_Looks like I won't be getting any drawing done after all._

Giving up on drawing anything for the moment, she instead glanced outside the window of the bus, seeing the the buildings of Pennsylvania pass by. It had taken them over two hours just to get out of New York City due to several accidents and over a dozen construction detours.

Rhode had actually only been to New York a few times, but she didn't think the rumored traffic was _that_ bad.

 _I'll be eighteen by the time we get there._ She thought with annoyance. _I_ wish _a monster would attack. Maybe then I won't die of boredom._

"Rhode!" Jack suddenly calling to her, pulling the scion of the oceans out of her reverie.

"What?" She almost shouted, barely managing to soften her voice to something more appropriate before she caused a scene.

"That belt," the son of Khione said gesturing to the new leather belt that Rhode was wearing. "Is that the new utility belt I heard you had Gaige make for you?"

"Yeah." Rhode nodded. "It's to carry the poisons for my Toxikinesis safely." Gesturing to the boxy pouch secured to the length, she continued. "These pouches have some fancy tech and magic worked into them that keeps the poisons inside safely contained until I need to use them. They even have safety features that make sure that if they're about to fail, they'll destroy the poison rather than let it leak."

"Wow!"

"Gaige always does good work." Lee commented with a nod.

"I want one." Jack playfully whined.

"Why would you even need a utility belt?" Lee scoffed. "If anyone needs one, it's me."

"Hey, no fair! I call dibs."

"Boys!" Rhode chided while gesturing to the displeased looks the two bantering boys were getting from the other passengers on the bus. "You're being too loud. Shh!"

"Sorry." Lee and Jack offered to the people they'd annoyed.

After that minor incident, the trio settled into a companionable silence, and they each turned their attention elsewhere. Jack to looking out the window, Lee to uncharacteristic brooding and Rhode to her doodling.

_Hopefully, I'll finally be able to get somewhere this time._

"Hey Rhode," Lee leaned over and whispered to his friend after a few minutes. "You find anything odd with this quest?"

"Like we know nothing?" Rhode asked with a roll of her eyes. "Duh. Snowflake doesn't see it though."

Gesturing to Jack who was eagerly looking at everything he lay his eyes on outside the window, Rhode continued. "You want to be the one to burst his bubble?"

"No." The son of Hermes said with a resigned sigh. "Still. I have a bad feeling about this quest."

"I'll do it." Rhode told him bluntly, a sense of worry crossed her features. "This has got so much bad juju, I mean-"

She was cut off by a loud crash and her head banged right into the seat in front of her. She cried out and covered her forehead while she rocked in her seat. Screams came from everyone on the bus as the vehicle unexpectedly and rather violently came to a stop.

The child of Poseidon groaned, rubbing her head and looked around with a haze. Taking her water bottle, she dumped its contents over her head, her haze dissipating as the water healed her.

"What happened?" Rhode asked, even as she got up from her seat to investigate.

"Looks like we've been in an accident." Lee informed Rhode and Jack, who was still recovering his senses, as he walked up the aisle back to their seats. "I've been up front to have a look. It's not good."

"Another delay?" Rhode suspiciously asked.

The son of Hermes nodded.

"Hey, don't sweat it you two." A still cheerful Jack chimed in, rubbing his nose. "We still have plenty of time."

The two other demigods shot each other uneasy looks.

* * *

"This is even worst than the bus." Rhode stated as she was stuck in the middle of the two boys in a taxi.

After the accident, the demigods walked through Pennsylvania for about an hour until they found a library and the yellow pages they needed to get the number of the local cab company. With that in hand they had used Rhode's phone to call a taxi service and get a ride. With some convincing from Lee and a roll of cash courtesy of Rhode, they were able to get the driver to agree to take them up to the Canadian Border.

Unfortunately, their bad luck still seemed to be following them and they didn't manage to get that far. They'd just drove into the town of Lewisburg, about halfway to their destination, when the cab's engine sputtered to a stop. The cabbie had apologised profusely and had tried to start up the engine again, but nothing he tried worked. By that time, it was already late into the evening so instead of taking the driver's offer of getting them a replacement driver, they'd decided to spend the night in town.

"Why is there a jazz festival in town?" Jack complained out loud, "That's the fifth place we went that was fully booked!"

Lee scratched off a name from the list of the town's hotels they'd managed to write up thanks to a helpful local.

"We should have taken that guy's offer to bunk at his place, he seemed like a nice bellhop." Jack sighed, resting his staff over his shoulder.

"I'm not going to some guy's place Jack. Seriously, never go with a predator to a second location." Rhode scolded him as she took point, a map in her hands.

"What do you suggest then, Princess?" Jack shot back sounding frustrated and angry. "We camp out? Unless you forgot, we don't have any supplies at all."

"We can find a Church or something, play homeless if we're desperate." Rhode easily suggested. "Plus, we don't need supplies to camp out. Lee and I have our wands, we can make some gear if needed."

"Let's save that for if we're desperate. Alright, so we have enough money for one room if we even find an opening." Lee said, changing the topic as he counted their remaining cash. "This place is a little pricier than the others."

"And that means you two are sharing a bed." Rhode told the boys as they walked towards the Hampton Inn.

The trio had barely walked into the hotel lobby when a man wearing the Inn's snazzy uniform that looked like a walking teddy bear with how round he was came up to them.

"Here for a room kids?" The hotel employee asked.

"Yes we are, Mister Andrew." Lee greeted after a long look at the nametag.

"Well, sorry." The man said with a apologetic smile. "We're full. The last guest just checked in."

"Come on, man. We're desperate. And hungry, and children!" Lee added as he tried to look as pitiful as possible. "This is the sixth place we've been to."

"This is the last place in town. We've nowhere else to go." Jack chimed in pleadingly.

"Well, if you're desperate, we have a church in town that I'm sure is willing to take in a few kids for the night." The rounded man told them.

Lee looked at Rhode, expecting something.

"I'm not going to say it."

"You can't even gloat right." Lee clicked his tongue and looked at the bellhop, "What street is it on?"

"I'm off in a few minutes. Why don't I drive you kids there?" The man offered kindly. "Saint Andrews is close by."

Rhode was about to turn him down, but before she could, Jack spoke up. "That would be awesome, Mister Andrew."

"Well then why don't you kids just wait around a bit. I'll go knock off and we can get going."

They all gave him a smile as he waddled away. When the coast was clear, Rhode swiftly slapped Jack upside the head.

"Ow! What the Hades, Rhode?!"

Rhode threw her arms in the air out of frustration, "Stop being so stupid! You can't just trust people you barely met for five seconds. Do you have any survival instincts?"

"He doesn't seem that bad a guy, Rhode." Lee said, trying to ease the growing tension.

"I don't care, a monster can be anywhere or look like anyone if they use the Mist." Rhode hissed at them, "He said it's close by, so we'll walk."

"I'm quest leader, Rhode. So we're catching a ride." Jack scowled, pulling rank.

"And I've lived on the streets for three years, I know how the world works for us. How often have you been outside of camp besides going on a field trip?"

"And all it's done is made you too paranoid to accept help when people are offering it." Jack shot back challengingly.

Rhode felt like she'd just been slapped. _How dare he say that!?_

Instead of replying, the former street kid just ignored Jack and turned to walk out of the hotel lobby. Lee looked between the two other demigods for a moment, before shrugging and following after the girl. The son of Khione in turn just stubbornly stood waiting in the lobby for his free ride.

"Glad you see sense, Lee."

Lee snorted. "What sense? I think you're the one in the wrong here, Rhode. I'm only following you so you don't do something stupid while you're pissed."

"I'm not going to do anything stupid." The child of Poseidon brushed off.

"Uh-huh."

* * *

"See? We made it here safely." Rhode told Lee with a smile as they stood in front of the church.

"And we could have done that in a perfectly safe drive here." Lee pointed out.

"Exercise is good for you." Rhode grumbled as she recalled how Jack had passed them by on their walk. Cheekily waving at them no less!

_Arse._

Rhode rapped her knuckles wooden door. They didn't have to wait long before a middle aged man in faded jeans and a Steelers sweater opened the door for them.

"You two must be Jack's friends. Come on in." The man cheerfully welcomed them. "Bad luck with the hotel rooms. But feel free to stay the night with us."

"Thank you Pastor." Rhode accepted kindly.

Lee shot her a somewhat disbelieving look at her easy acceptance but Rhode just shook her head at him.

"It's a church, they are usually safe." Rhode whispered to him. "I've never been attacked by a monster in one."

"What else would attack you?"

"Homeless." Rhode grunted. Churches weren't all nice. Those that took in the homeless couldn't always keep the peace between them. The child of Poseidon had gotten into a few tussles when she had first journeyed through the U.S.

"Why don't you follow me?" The pastor offered as he began to walk off. "I bet you two are hungry. My wife has dinner all laid out already and you're more than welcome to join us."

"That sounds wonderful," Rhode said as they walked down the aisle

As they walked down the centre aisle of the church and towards a door on the side that presumably led towards the Pastor's house, Rhode looked nostalgically at the stained glass window above the altar.

 _How long has it been since I last saw one of those?_ Rhode asked herself. Probably not since she was a scared little kid. _I really have changed so much since then._

Shaking her head, the child of the sea followed the pastor into his home.

_Just keep moving forward and keep on changing._

* * *

"You know what?" Lee said as he swallowed a bite of his waffle.

"What?" Jack asked as he bit into a wrapped hashbrown.

Rhode merely grunted as she drank some of her tea.

The trio had stopped at a McDonald's before they'd set off from Lewisburg and were now munching on their breakfast as they waited for the new cab that the Pastor had helpfully called for them.

"We're being stalled. This was a day trip at worst, but it's our second day already? Something's funky." Lee said, waving around his waffle.

"Thank you!" Rhode said with mock enthusiasm. "Finally someone agrees with me that something is fishy about this quest."

"And you're all about fishy stuff." Jack cracked a grin at her.

Rhode frowned at him as she took another sip of tea, "Shut it, Snowflake. Anyways, you catching on to what Lee and I have been thinking?"

"Yeah, yeah." Jack agreed insincerely. He was clearly unhappy that he had to admit that their 'paranoia' was valid.

"The thing is who is stalling us and what can we do about it? I doubt we can abandon ship." Rhode observed cautiously.

"Not a chance." Lee confirmed. "Jack's mum will turn us into ice sculptures if we did that."

"She wouldn't, would she?"

Lee shrugged. "It's what I heard she does to people."

"Yeah, but I don't think she'd mess with me. He can be moody as heck, but my dad's really well liked." The sea child stated, "It's a big shield of his because he's not like my youngest Lord Uncle."

"Really?" Lee asked her with a groan, taking a sneaking glance at the sky.

"Yep." She quipped, no shame to be had at her subtle shots at Zeus. Taking another long sip of tea, the brunette smiled. "Ah."

The taxi pulled up by the church and after shuffling in, they were off to Canada!

* * *

"I thought we were going to Canada?" Rhode pouted as they walked around Niagara Falls, New York.

"The border crossing might have given us trouble." Jack said, eying her backpack, "Thankfully, my gran lives stateside."

Rhode looked at her backpack in confusion, "What?"

"Nothing."

"Thank the gods we aren't going to the maple country!" Lee cheered, grinning like a loon.

Rhode leaned in and whispered to Jack, "What's he so happy about?"

"Lee had a quest in Canada once, he had to deliver something. We all think it was completely illegal and he's on some watchlist at the border."

"What do you think it is?"

"The top bet at camp is pugs."

"...Not drugs or weapons?" Rhode looked at him strangely.

"I see Lee more as a trafficker than an arms dealer." Jack simply explained.

As if it couldn't be more official in her mind, this tidbit just proved to Rhode that people at Camp just bet on the stupidest things.

"The house should be on the next block over." Lee said as they looked at the sprawl of suburban houses. They had left their cabbie a few blocks back due to Jack wanting to explore the neighborhood.

It reminded Rhode of that Tim Burton movie with the skeleton and how the son of winter would explore everything.

"Come on, let's go." The white haired boy smiled as they walked down the street.

They arrived in front of a single floor house, with white walls and a roof decorated with black shingles. It was simple, quaint and gave off a homely feel.

They approached the wooden door and Jack rang the doorbell.

"One minute!" An elderly woman's voice called out. When the door was opened, it revealed a woman with chestnut hair that was only just showing the first signs of grey. Her eyes were a tired blue that was made more pronounced by the noticeable wrinkles on her face. Despite that she was wearing a warm if curious smile.

That all changed however as soon as she looked at Jack. The moment she laid eyes on him, her eyes widened in horror and she screamed.

All the demigods were stunned by this and before they could even speak to her, she slammed the door in their faces.

"Uh, what just happened?" Rhode asked and Lee shrugged at her.

Jack rang the bell once more and they winced as the woman screamed again.

"Go away! Leave me the hell alone!"

"Ma'am we just want to talk!" Jack shouted back, looking greatly confused.

The screaming stopped, but there were loud whispers coming from within. After a few minutes, the door opened once again but they weren't met by the old woman.

"Lord Apollo?" Rhode asked in surprise as the god of the sun glared at the lot of them.

Without answering the demigoddess' question, he instead issued an order in a stern voice. "Follow me. Now."

* * *

"So… Why are you here, Lord Apollo?" Rhode asked, seeing as Jack and Lee were too nervous to even talk to the god.

"The reason I am here, Rhode? The reason _I_ am preventing you from seeing Claire?" Apollo asked dangerously, his eyes literally on fire. "Are you sure _you_ ," Here he shot Jack a pointed look that left the boy blinking in confusion. "Want to know?"

The three questers exchanged a nervous look, before they all nodded.

Seeing their response, the god let out a frustrated grunt and took a seat on a bench in the park he'd led them into.

With his arms crossed and flames burning brightly in his eyes, he cut a truly intimidating figure. One that radiated displeasure that by his unrelenting focus was directed almost entirely at Jack.

For a long moment, he said nothing and just glared at the son of Khione.

Said demigod was at or near his breaking point, when the god finally begun his explanation. "My son, Jamie, was your father."

The son of snow was stunned by this and before he could ask something, he was silenced by a wrathful look from the sun god even as he continued. "He was everything I could want in a son. He inherited my gifts strongly. He was an excellent archer, a gifted musician and a master of both photokinesis and vitakinesis. He was as much like me as it was possible for my half-blood children to be. I was so very proud of him. But in the end, he might have been too much like me."

" _Was." He said "was."_ Rhode noted with dread.

"And then he went on that quest with a pair of his friends." Apollo sighed and at their curious looks, he added. "What it was about isn't important. They reached Boreas' little palace where they needed some help. Khione offered her _assistance_ but at a price. All she wanted from my boy was for him to spend a day with her. But, and I'm just going to outright say it, your mother is a wretch. She was playing games with Jamie when she said that."

Apollo continued with a look of utter disgust, "My boy was so much like me that she couldn't resist. Jamie agreed to stay behind while his friends continued the quest. He thought he could catch up with them, it was _only_ a day after all. That never happened."

"Khione was always known to freeze young heroes who catch her fancy." The sun god said with venom, even as the air around them responded to his mood by heating up a few degrees thus causing the demigods to begin to sweat, "She ended up pretty much torturing him, keeping him as some kind of plaything for months."

"She broke her deal?" Lee frowned.

_She couldn't have. If she had, then Lord Apollo would have gone after her for revenge._

"The bitch was smarter than that." Apollo's nostrils flared, as if disgusted to even admit that. "She allowed Jamie to be awake an hour at a time here and there, then froze him once she was done with him. For weeks at a time sometimes. That way she was able to keep her word and got to stretch out her time with him."

Rhode looked away, she could only imagine what happened each time the demigod was awake.

"But the times frozen were a mercy. The depraved things she did to Jamie while he was awake." The son god's entire frame ignited, before he took a deep breath and calmed down. "Just thinking about them makes me lose my cool."

 _I don't think I ever wanted to be wrong as much before._ Rhode mused sadly. _Khione's one twisted bitch._

While Rhode pondered on the snow goddess' depravity, the furious god locked his blazing eyes with Jack's icy blue ones.

"And you're the result of that."

Jack stood shellshocked, his hands gripping his staff tightly while his tall frame shook like a leaf.

Rhode reached out to him, trying to put a calming hand on his shoulder, but the boy flinched and shook it off.

"I-but Chiron said, I don't even-"

"Save your hysterics for when I'm done, boy." Apollo ordered sternly, but Rhode could see a small sense of pain in his features.

Rhode couldn't even imagine how this felt for the god to talk about, this felt like it was something out of Ancient Greek tragedy.

_I guess you can take the gods out of Ancient Greece, but you can't take Ancient Greece out of the gods._

"Eventually she let Jamie go after a few months. She dumped him unceremoniously at Camp, traumatized and broken. Something not helped by the fact that one of the first things he learned there was that his questmates had never returned and were presumed dead. After all that, he ended up locking himself in my Cabin like a hermit. I could have lived with that. Who could blame him? Perhaps he could even have risen above this trauma and healed over time."

He sighed and looked up at the sky, looking wistful. After a moment of doing so, he turned his gaze back to the questers.

"Until of course months later Khione showed up at Camp and dropped _you_ off." He spat, even as his body ignited once more and the bench he sat on caught fire. He stood up and it turned to ash in his wake. Stepping forward, he jabbed a finger into Jack's chest, singing his hoodie in the process. "That was the last nail in the coffin. My boy, my brightest son, couldn't handle it and so took his life with a noose."

The park was overcome by deathly silence. No one knew what to do or say.

"Claire's reaction to you was pretty much how Jamie reacted. She doesn't need a painful reminder of what happened to our son, and I feel the exact same way. Because of that I wanted to spare her from meeting you."

"And that's why we were being stalled." Rhode concluded quietly.

"Exactly." Apollo admitted with a nod. "I couldn't sabotage it outright, that would violate the Ancient Laws. Nor did I want to make it impossibly difficult. I am a fair god after all. So I decided to gamble on your questmates' naturally cautious natures."

 _He was trying to exploit Lee and I's paranoia._ Rhode frowned at being manipulated by the god, not liking the feeling.

"I scrambled your memory of the Prophecy and upset your journey, all so you would give up. I knew it would be a slim chance, but I had to try." Apollo said with a sigh, as he pulled a picture from his pocket and handed it to Jack.

The photo was of a young man that looked like an older Jack with blond hair. The resemblance was uncanny. His eyes were full of life and his smile was practically infectious. Jack's hands shook as he grasped the photo tightly and tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"It's not even hers, but when _that woman_ wants something, she'll do whatever it takes to get it." The sun god told Jack, looking at him with a deadly gaze. "Know this though Jackson Overland, if you ever come back here again, if you ever try and get in contact with Claire, know that a burning sensation is the last feeling you will ever have. I swear this on the River Styx."

The god's deadly oath was sealed by a crash of supernatural thunder.

Rhode couldn't just take this lying down. Watching her friend get smashed down just for being born, anger bubbled within her.

"Jack's just as much a victim in all this too!" Her words were firm and loud, her friends staring at her as if she was nuts.

The god turned to Rhode, his fiery gaze on her, "Do you think I do not know that? Why else do you think I did not reduce him to ash on the wind the moment I learned of his existence? Even though he's a source of deep anguish for Claire and I?"

The child of Poseidon was stunned speechless by this. _Is this what a god calls mercy?_

"You know nothing, daughter of Poseidon." Apollo spat. "Many a mortal manages far less mercy than I am showing here."

 _He's not wrong._ The brunette had to agree, as she looked away ashamed.

The god was not done with her however.

"Rhode Evans, I'm calling in that favor you owe me. You will keep Jackson Overland from ever doing anything that will require me to fulfill my earlier Oath. If you do so, we are even. And if you don't..." He let the threat linger in the air, but the child of the sea understood what would happen.

"I understand, Lord Apollo."

The sun god nodded.

"Good. Now begone!"

With that Rhode's vision was suddenly blinded by a burst of light.

* * *

As the spots cleared from Rhode's eyes, she realized that she was standing next to the central hearth back in Camp.

"He teleported us back to Camp." Lee gasped, his whole body radiating uneasiness.

Rhode just nodded at her friend, before she turned her attention to Jack. The boy was standing stock still, clearly overcome with shock at what he'd just learned about the circumstances of his birth.

"Jack, you okay?" The girl asked cautiously, wary of spooking her fellow cryokinetic.

He didn't respond, just kept staring blankly at the photo of his father that he was grasping tightly.

Before she could ask again, a wave of cold washed over them.

Rhode had an inkling at who was about to make an appearance.

Suddenly a pillar of frost exploded out of nowhere next to the hearth and from it stepped out a goddess with a mane of lush black hair, coffee-brown eyes, and unnaturally pale skin that was the color of snow much like Jack. She wore a white dress, and had a silver crown atop her hair.

"The triumphant heroes return." The minor goddess smiled at them, but it lacked warmth and kindness in every sense.

"We have rules about gods coming all willy nilly here, Khione." Mr. D declared as he walked up to the hearth where a young girl had seemingly appeared out of nowhere to poke at it with a stick and shoot the snow goddess a scathing glare.

"I merely want my prize." Khione huffed.

"Yes, you do lack patience." Mr. D observed snidely.

"And how is the wine business going?"

"I don't know, ask me again." Mr. D stated darkly, his purple eyes swirling slowly.

"Better than your attempts at romance, Khione." The little girl said, stepping into the conversation, even as a wave of comfort swept out from her to embrace Rhode and her fellow half-bloods.

The child of Poseidon moved to flank Jack, trying to put a hand on his shoulder once more. He brushed her off however and marched up to get into his mother's face.

"Is what Apollo told me true?" He demanded from the icy woman.

Khione smiled proudly, "He _is_ the god of truths, so of course it is!"

Jack could only recoil in disgust, staring at her with horrified eyes.

"Khione!" The little girl shouted at the goddess angrily, even as she pulled a frozen Jack into a comforting hug.

"Oh, save it Hestia!" Khione shot back unfazed. "I'm not in the mood for one of your lectures."

By now many campers had gathered around, but kept a good distance from the gods.

"You _really_ talk too much," Mr. D flared his nostrils, his eyes swirling faster. Responding to his agitation, all the blades of grass begun to point at Khione, as if they were ready to shoot at her like little missiles.

It was to this tense standoff that Chiron galloped in, his face stony. "Lord Dionysius, Lady Hestia, Lady Khione! Please, this is a place of training, not a battleground for godly quarreling. Cease and desist this now."

As if backing him up, the sky rumbled warningly as the centaur finished speaking.

Both Mr. D and Khione backed down at that, actually managing to look startled and even vaguely chastised. In contrast, Hestia just continued to glare at the snow goddess unfazed by Zeus' dramatic warning.

Jack rounded on Chiron, hurt in his eyes, "You knew about this, didn't you?"

At his demand, Chiron's face contorted into a pained expression.

"Jack, I was only trying to protect you-"

Khione readily cut him off.

"Of course he did, Jack. I never hid the story of your conception. The centaur thought it was some kind of scandal of all things. Ridiculous."

Hestia seemed to tighten the hug she was giving Jack at this, but the boy still managed to jerk back as he flinched. "Oh gods! You're actually proud of what you did!"

"Why of course I am." The despicable excuse for a living being admitted. "It's not everyday a minor goddess like me bags such a fine demigod like James after all. It's certainly something to be proud of."

"His name was Jamie." Chiron corrected, his face a mask of pure diplomatic politeness.

Khione hummed, "Right, Jamie. It was only a day so I don't really remember much of it."

Lee stepped forward, his hand reaching towards his pouch of knives, but a look from Hestia froze him in place. Letting go of Jack, the child like goddess stepped up to look Khione in the eye.

"Take what you came for and leave." The goddess of the hearth said in a cold voice, as the fire pit that was her domain roared.

Khione held a hand out towards Jack, waiting impatiently.

"Looks like the Prophecy was right, I would meet a monster in the end."

In response, Jack crumpled the photo and tossed it at the goddess' feet and ran off.

"Go after him, Niece." Hestia urged. "He shouldn't be alone right now."

With a nod to her Aunt, the daughter of Poseidon ran after her devastated friend.

In the background, she heard the gods exchange a few more harsh words, but Rhode put it out of her mind. Jack was the most important thing right now.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Another one finished thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios.
> 
> Man, another grim ending to a chapter. I know what you're thinking, what the shit guys?! Well, Jack needed some Character Development, and this was the best way to do it. Tragedy brings about the strength out of characters and if they crumble we can build them into new shapes.
> 
> Nameless: Don't worry though, next chapter should be more standard adventure. So there shouldn't be any tragedies or other dark stuff there. Or for a while, if I remember our plans correctly.
> 
> Rhode was pretty paranoid about accepting help during the trip wasn't she? But in this case it was 50/50 really because it was good to be suspicious, but not everyone is out to get you.
> 
> Nameless: I think the scenes with Apollo and the gods at the end were my favorites to do in a long while. The sheer emotion in them was just amazing. Hope, you guys liked them as much as I enjoyed helping to write them.
> 
> Hope we expressed the tension, pain, and relationships between the gods well for you all.
> 
> Now, you know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	4. My Bank has a Faded Problem

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Four: My Bank has a Faded Problem**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Rhode walked towards the canoe lake, following the trail of melted frost that Jack had left in his wake. The boy was obviously not in a good way if his powers were on the fritz enough to freeze his surroundings unintentionally.

This assumption was proven correct when the daughter of the seas found him sitting on the edge of the lake. His arms were wrapped around himself and his head was hunched over as he shook with sobs. As she drew closer, the sound of his crying grew clearer and clearer.

Rhode frowned, seeing him like this made her feel as though a knife was twisting in her heart.

Without hesitation the brunette moved closer in a bid to comfort him. However, she hadn't even made it five feet from him when he shouted at her with a hoarse voice.

"Go away!"

The usually unflappable girl froze with indecision. On the one hand, Rhode wanted to respect his wishes and back off to let him stew in his grief alone. On the other, she wanted to comfort him. For a moment, she just stood there trying to decide what to do. In the end, she decided to go with a compromise.

Respecting Jack's desire for space, she didn't get any closer. However, hoping that offering a comforting and friendly presence would help, she instead moved towards the edge of the lake and sat down.

"I said go away!"

"I know." Rhode conceded. "But last I checked, this is a free country and I happen to think spending some time by the lake right now is a good idea."

It was a stupid cliched thing to say and on any other occasion would likely have gotten at least a smile from the boy who had grown up in Cabin Eleven with its many pranksters. Today however all it managed was a sullen grunt of acknowledgement.

The two half-bloods said nothing, just sat there in silence. One offering silent comfort and the other sniffling. The only accompaniment to the boy's grieving were the sounds of nature.

"You know, it's going to be okay." Rhode said to him, glancing at the white haired boy. "I, um, I know it's tough right now, but it'll get easier?"

She was uncertain of her words, but she just had to say something. Her friend was hurting here and she couldn't just stay quiet right?

"Everyone's really worried about you, Jack. We're all here for you."

She was about to continue, but Jack cut her off.

"Rhode, stop talking and just, just listen." He told her, turning his head to look at her. His icy blue eyes were puffy and bloodshot.

"I don't think you and everyone get it. My life? It's suddenly turned into an entire lie! Chiron lied to me Rhode, he led me along for my entire life. He betrayed me!" His words were punctuated as the waters beneath his feet began to freeze into jagged sheets of ice.

"And you know what's worse?" He let out a hollow laugh, "I've just found I've got no family anymore."

"But-"

"But nothing!" Jack shouted angrily, as in the background the ice on the surface of the lake transformed into a macabre forest of deadly ice spires. "Because _that_ woman? She's no mother of mine. Not anymore."

Rhode waited until he was finished, letting him vent his ire. Once she was sure he was done, she looked him straight in the eye and said, "You have family Jack. The entire camp is your family. And guess what? Plenty of us care about you."

_Me included._

"No, they pity me." He spat out before adding sourly, "Who wouldn't after seeing that trainwreck?"

"That doesn't mean they don't _care_ about you, Snowflake." Rhode said, being perfectly honest and offering him a soft smile.

He looked at her face, as if trying to search for something. He rubbed his eyes, flicking away a small piece of ice.

The anger had left his eyes and she was graced by the tiniest hint of a smile. A wooden and somewhat dishonest one.

"Thank you, Rhode."

"Do you believe me?" She asked worriedly. It was obvious to her that Jack was just lying and trying to get her to go away.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know right now. Still, thanks for the peptalk."

Rhode frowned, she was absolutely sure that Jack was just saying things she wanted to hear right now. However, she could also tell that Jack was desperate to be alone right now.

To that effect, she reluctantly nodded. "Hey, if you need a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on… I'm here."

In her last gesture of comfort, Rhode reached her arm across his shoulder comfortingly and gave him a loose hug.

* * *

The next day found the child of Poseidon busy at work in the stable, carrying two bags of feed over her shoulders. Flóga was behind her, another bag of feed on her back.

 _Is Snowy going to be okay, Boss Lady?_ Her pegasus asked her with a worried neigh.

Rhode sighed as she placed her cargo down and moved to take the one the equine was carrying.

"I don't know Flóga, he's been distant with everyone." The child of Poseidon said. The icy demigod was absolutely withdrawn, letting no one in.

Chiron had tried to speak with the boy but it had led nowhere productive, instead ending in a shouting match.

 _If anyone can help him, it's you Boss Lady. I mean, no one wants to be alone at a time like this._ Flóga assured her.

It was such simple logic, but the world wasn't so black and white. _Some people_ do _want to be alone when they get shocks like this._

Putting the last bag down, Rhode stroked her friend's mane, "If only it was that simple, Flóga."

The pegasus looked at her in confusion when Lee suddenly appeared in the stable's doorway.

"Rhode! Hey, we need your help with something at the arena."

The child of Poseidon stopped her stroking and turned to her friend.

"What's up?"

"Just come with me." Lee said, looking annoyed and impatient.

"Fine, let's go."

* * *

The two demigods swiftly made their way to the arena and came upon a tense scene.

Fergus was restaining a son of Apollo while Penny was holding back Annabeth. Standing between them was Emily and Gaige as groups from their respective Cabins were in the stands looking on nervously.

Annabeth had a bruise forming on her cheek while the guy she had been sparing with looked worse. His nose was busted up, his lip was split, and his right leg looked like it had a limp.

"What the hell is going on?" Rhode asked as hushed whispers filled the crowd.

Before one of the more senior Camp Counselors could speak up, Annabeth went into rapid fire mode.

"Rhode! We were sparring and he-"

Emily cut her off swiftly, glaring at the young blonde with a chiding look.

"Oh no you don't Chase." Emily said angrily. Not that her tone was necessary to clue Rhode into the fact that she was furious with the other girl, the very fact that the daughter of Aphrodite was calling her by her surname was enough to do that. "You're not going to lie your way into Rhode's sympathies. Not again."

The daughter of the seas frowned. "What do you mean?"

Turning to face her, Emily explained. "Rhode, have you wondered why Annabeth has been sporting bruises more often lately?"

The witch blinked in surprise. Sure, she'd noticed that her blonde surrogate sister was getting herself banged up more often lately. But Annabeth had said it was just due to training harder than usual. Considering what had happened first with Luke and then Jack everyone was on edge, which many had tried to work off by training harder. As a result, Rhode had easily believed what Annabeth had told her.

"Uh, not really?"

"Well, whatever reason you came up with, it's wrong." Emily said with an unnerving certainty.

"I wasn't ly-" Annabeth tried to butt in, but a gesture from Emily had Penny covering her mouth to silence her.

"As I was saying," the head counselor of Cabin Ten continued. "The real reason for all her recent injuries is that she's been picking fights behind your back."

Rhode was taken aback by this. She couldn't believe Annabeth would do something like this. She was a head counselor for Olympus' sake! How could she be doing something so immature?

"This has gotta be a mistake." Rhode offered weakly. Annabeth nodded vigorously in agreement but the stern looks from everyone else told the daughter of the seas everything, "Annabeth, what the hell?"

She stormed up to the blonde and asked Penny to release her. The android shot a look to her creator and upon receiving a nod, did as she was asked. Annabeth immediately tried to back away, but Rhode planted a firm grip on her shoulder while she shot her a disappointed look.

"What made you think this was okay? You can't just go picking fights for no reason! You're supposed to be someone a camper can go to when they need help, to respect, but this?! Do you know what kind of responsibility you took on when you accepted being a head counselor? Did you?" Annabeth made to say something, but Rhode cut her off. "Of course you didn't. Either that or you didn't care! Whatever it is, it looks like you weren't ready for the responsibility."

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Annabeth had a stubborn look in her eyes, refusing to admit the error of her ways. "I was standing up for you when they were making fun of you. You weren't doing it so someone had to!"

"I don't need to-" Rhode tried to explain.

"They're wrong about you! You're a good person, not some killer. They're lying!" Annabeth shouted.

Taking a calming breath, Rhode continued trying to reason with the younger girl. "I did something wrong, Bethy."

"But you didn't mean to!"

"What I meant to do means nothing in the real world, Annabeth! It means nothing to those people who died!" Rhode snapped at the young girl, glaring at her sternly. "I fucked up and I have to live with that guilt forever!"

Annabeth clammed up fast, her eyes turned towards the ground.

Releasing the blonde, Rhode rubbed her temples, "I don't have time for this, Bethy. I don't need more drama in my life. I have to look out for Jack and Luke too. You joining the pile isn't helping me."

"I-" Annabeth weakly tried to speak up but for what must have been the first time in years, words failed her. So instead she resorted to crossing her arms and looking upset.

It was to this tableau that a stern faced Chiron trotted up to the arena. "What is going on here?"

Multiple hands pointed at Annabeth, making the young blonde glare at them with a pout.

Emily and Gaige exchanged a look and Gaige walked up to the centaur to explain this time.

Gaige quickly gave Chiron a broad strokes summary of what had happened and the context behind it, namely Annabeth's recent history of beating people up.

The ancient centaur listened, his visage growing more stern with every damning word that left the daughter of Hephaestus' mouth. Annabeth had made to interrupt once, but was firmly shut down by the combined glares of Rhode, Emily, Penny and Fergus.

"Thank you Gaige." Chiron said as the tinkerer finished her explanation, his face looking like it could have been carved out of marble. "Fergus, could you please take Clifford to the infirmary to get checked out?"

The Trainer of Heroes waited for the head of Ares Cabin to nod and lead the son of Apollo that Annabeth had beat up away before turning to Annabeth and continuing.

"Annabeth, I must say that I am terribly disappointed in you at the moment." The blonde rocked back at this, as if she'd been physically punched in the gut. Rhode could sympathise, Chiron was like a father to all the year rounders. Herself included. So hearing him say something like that would have cut the daughter of wisdom deeply.

"As head counselor of Cabin Six, you should've known better. I was willing to close an eye to this before now." Several people looked surprised at this. "Yes, I've known about your behavior for some time, Annabeth. I let it continue though hoping you'd stop, but instead it seems you've just escalated."

The blonde hung her head in shame.

"As such, I'm forced to make a painful decision." Everyone held their breath at this, as they anxiously waited for their mentor to pass his judgement. "It is my sad duty to suspend you, Annabeth, from your role as Head Counselor of Cabin Six. Effective immediately."

"S-Suspended?" Annabeth stammered, looking once again as though she'd been struck.

"Taylor." Chiron called out to a lanky son of Athena seated in the stands. He was one of the less athletic sons of Athena but was very good with maps, and was very well liked by his siblings for his helpful and friendly personality.

Giving a nervous smile which showed his braces, he replied awkwardly, "Yes Chiron?"

"Congratulations, you are now the new temporary Counselor for Cabin Six. You will stand in for Annabeth until she's proven herself up to the task once more or six months is up, whichever comes first."

"What happens after six months?"

"If after six months," Chiron turned to look at Annabeth meaningfully. "Annabeth has still not earned the right to the position again, then it will be forfeited and you'll become the permanent head counselor."

Taylor shot Annabeth an apologetic look but nevertheless nodded, albeit nervously. "I u-understand, Chiron. I-I won't let you down."

"I doubt you will." The centaur said, giving Annabeth one last disappointed look, before he turned to trot off towards the Big House and presumably the infirmary.

As he left, everyone turned their attention to the disgraced former head of Cabin Six. Wilting under the attention, the daughter of Athena looked like she just wanted to crawl into a hole.

The show over, Gaige -standing in for Fergus who hadn't got back from the infirmary yet - called for another set of campers to came down as Annabeth darted from the arena.

For a moment Rhode debated whether to go after her, but ultimately decided against it. If her experience with Jack and Luke were any indication, it was best to let people have some space for a while after whatever shock that upset them before reaching out to them.

"Lee, where's Luke?" Rhode asked as she walked away from the arena with the son of Hermes. "Did you call him?"

The boy nodded with a frown. "I didn't need to. Taylor came over to the lake where we were canoeing to find him. He brushed him off. So I decided to go get you instead."

"He just _ignored_ this?" Rhode asked incredulously even as a deep sense of disappointment settled in her heart.

"Yeah," Lee agreed, his frown growing deeper. "Shocked the Pit out of me too. But he just shrugged and just pretended he didn't hear anything. I honestly just wanted to slap him."

"Gods, what's going on with all my friends lately?" Rhode said with a sigh and an exasperated slap to her forehead. "Did I accidentally offend some god lately?"

Lee shrugged. "Maybe. It's hard to tell sometimes."

"Not what I wanted to hear Lee," Rhode told her friend dryly. "Not at all."

* * *

A couple days later, Rhode was standing next to Fergus as they observed the son of Ares' newest sibling, Clarisse La Rue, as she beat up her latest sparring partner in the arena.

The girl was huge for her age -nearly as tall as Rhode herself-, with stringy brown hair, beady dark eyes and strong looking large hands.

"Don't you think you should stop her?" The daughter of Poseidon asked Fergus as his younger sister punched the unfortunate daughter of Hephaestus that she was facing so hard she was left with a broken nose. "That's the third partner she's sent to the infirmary this lesson."

The Scot just shrugged. "This _is_ a CQC lesson. Learning to take a hit is important."

"You just like to see her showing up the other Cabins, don't you?" Rhode accused.

"Not gonna deny that I find it entertaining." Fergus admitted with a smirk. "Doesn't make what I said any less true though."

"Maybe." The younger head counselor conceded. "But if she keeps going most of Cabin Nine is going to end up in the infirmary and if that happens Gaige will be pissed."

"Pissed?" Fergus guffawed at that. "She's more likely to find it hilarious. Her whole Cabin thrashed by a single twelve year old girl."

_Knowing Gaige, he's probably right._

"Well Atlanta won't be happy." The head of Cabin Five sobered at that. "You know since it'll just increase her workload and all."

"Damn it, you're right." Fergus agreed with a grimace. "And it was just getting good too."

Rhode shook her head at her friend's bloodlust.

"Alright, Clarisse knock it off!" The Scot shouted as he walked towards the ring where his sister was trying to scare up a new challenger via an intimidating glare.

"Huh? But I was just getting started!" The daughter of Ares whined.

"Well, why don't you give your siblings a chance to have a go too?" Rhode suggested, before gesturing to the reduced group of Hephaestus kids who were looking mighty nervous. "Before you KO all the available competition."

The girl nodded, a strange look on her face. Rhode would almost say she was star struck, if that didn't sound so absurd. Why would anyone be awed by talking to her?

"Alright you shites! Line up and I'll pick yer victim." Fergus barked out as he started to pair up the class' remaining participants.

Rhode chuckled lightly as the children of war jumped to attention and lined up, with the children of the forge god following suit reluctantly.

"Lass, you wanna take Wonder Girl here?" Fergus asked as he slapped the heads of a pair of his siblings, indicating that he wanted them to pair up.

The daughter of Poseidon glanced at the new girl, who looked a touch nervous.

"Haha! La Rue's going to get smashed!" One of Clarisse's siblings said with a snicker.

"Only doing that since the Lass would smear any of the rest of ya." Fergus mocked the boy, making him scowl. "Oh, so you want to be a punchin' bag? How about I pair with ya?"

The son of war zipped his lip immediately.

Shrugging, Rhode began to stretch her arms. "Sure, why not. Come on, kid."

The two moved to a nearby training mat. Rising her fists in front of her face, the daughter of Poseidon grinned at the girl.

Clarisse did the same, slowly circling the mat as Rhode did the same.

"So Clarisse, mind if I call you that?"

"Sure." The younger girl replied trying to sound casual but failing to fully hide her eagerness. "It's an honor to talk to you, so call me whatever you want."

"An honor? Really?"

"Really!" Clarisse affirmed. "You're my idol here at camp."

Rhode blinked in surprise at that. "Idol? Haven't you heard what others have been saying about me lately?"

"So?" Clarisse shrugged, "Me and my whole Cabin think they're all stupid. So you got innocent people killed? Big deal. Shit like that happens in battle. Doesn't make you any less of a hero. You got the job done and if it was any one of those soft hearted pussies, I doubt they could have done it."

While it was nice to hear someone was on her side, she just hoped Clarisse didn't follow Annabeth's example and get into trouble standing up for her. Not that she needed the help anymore. Apparently proclaiming her remorse in public seemed to be enough for most campers. Not enough to forgive her, she doubted any of them would do that. But at least enough for them to stop getting on her case. Though there were still a handful that were still giving her grief. There weren't many of them thankfully, and Rhode had learned to just ignore them.

"I mean, I've heard all about the stuff you've done from Fergus and my siblings. And the way I see it you're the most kickass out of all the chumps here at Camp."

Rhode felt flattered at her words and smiled, "Thanks for the praise, but I'm not that great compared to some other campers."

"Bullshit! You're done more quests than anyone."

"Actually, I'm tied with Gaige and Fergus there." Rhode corrected as she inched closer to the new camper.

"And they've been here ages longer than you." The daughter of Ares retorted. "You'll outdo them soon enough."

"Maybe." Rhode told her and moved in with a burst of speed. She started with a feint and jabbed at Clarisse's defenses. The girl blocked it easily enough, but didn't see the kick to her knee.

Clarisse yelped and stumbled back, limping around as she tried to compensate for her injury as she backpedaled. Rhode wasn't about to let her get away that easily though and continued her advance.

"Keep up those hands." The child of Poseidon chided and feinted a kick to Clarisse's head. As the other girl ducked, Rhode transformed the motion into a 360 degree spin that sent the kick coming in from the other direction entirely and connected with her younger opponent's ribs.

"Your advice isn't helping!" The daughter of war snarled as she ignored the pain she must be feeling and moved in to attempt a punch. Rhode easily caught the offending limb and pulled her in. Grabbing hold of the girl, the daughter of the seas flipped the girl over.

Clarisse landed on her back with a grunt. Rhode wasn't done though and proceeded to painfully twist the poor girl's arm that she was still keeping in a firm hold.

"Ready to tap out?" Rhode grinned down at her, twisting the arm again to emphasize how good her advice was.

Scowling, the child of Ares used her free hand to slap the mat.

"Good match." Rhode said, releasing Clarisse's arm and standing up. She offered a hand to her opponent that the younger girl accepted.

"Thanks, I learned a lot." Clarisse winced, lightly touching her ribs. "I've gotta look out for feints more, right?"

"Got it on the first try. Now come on, I'll heal you up." The child of the seas inclined her head towards the water cooler.

Taking some water, Rhode used her powers to ease the pain she had inflicted onto the girl.

"So did you really stab a sea serpent in the eye while riding it?" Clarisse asked her, sighing as Rhode eased the bruising to her ribs.

"Yeah, but it was really to get its brain. I'm just amazed I hit it considering it's the size of a pea."

"What about the time you rode a giant eagle?"

Rhode blanched at this, "That was not fun. At all. I think my Uncle was just trying to make up for being unable to zap me. Thankfully Su was able to catch me after I killed it or I would have been a smear. But that's nothing compared to the time that Gaige tricked some Myrmekes into taking a shiny bomb back to their nest. She really thinned the colony in the forest."

"I guess that's pretty cool." Clarisse admitted.

"Exactly."

Clarisse continued to ask her all kinds of things and Rhode answered as best she could. All the while, she tried to play down her own accomplishments and point out those of others. Clarisse seemed pretty interested about all the cool things the older campers did, and that came as quite a relief to Rhode. Maybe she'd just saved herself from getting herself a new fangirl. Annabeth was bad enough.

"There all done." Rhode informed the other girl as she recalled the water she'd using to heal her and let it fall to the ground. "Hope I answered all the questions you had."

The child of Ares was smart enough to read the dismissal for what it was and with a grumpy nod, didn't press for more.

"Alright you lot, we're done for today!" Fergus shouted as he clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Get some water and clean off. Ya smell like wet dogs!"

Rhode shook her head at Fergus' antics. He just loved to toss in insults at every opportunity. As the others drifted off to clean up before their next activity, she stayed behind to help him pack up the mats.

"I think I need 'em to run a few gauntlets next time." Fergus grunted as he piled up the mats.

"They don't look like they're giving it their all?" Rhode asked as she pushed a few of them into a corner.

"Nah, just want to mix things up. At least my newest wee sis has some spunk to her." He said with a grin at her.

A flush crossed Rhode's face, "I didn't think I'd get myself a fan. Especially not after what happened."

"You still hung up on that?" Fergus asked with a quirked brow.

"A little. A lot… Yeah." She sighed, sitting up on the stack of mats.

"Look, Lass, shite happens. People starve, people fight, people die. Everyday. Guess what? The world keeps turning even if they do."

Rhode nodded. She could have kept arguing, tried to explain how she understood that but still felt terrible. But she was coming to realize that the children of Ares just _couldn't_ understand that. Maybe it was something they inherited from their dad, but they were extremely cavalier about death, even of innocents, in battle.

"Alright, enough gloom. Let me rip into you about Clarisse, cause I gotta." He leaned down to look her in the eye, a broad grin plastered onto his face.

"For real?" Rhode groaned.

"Of course!" The son of war laughed, "Do you think she'll want as much as your attention as that gremlin of yours?"

"Bethy's not a gremlin."

"She's monstrous in her own right." Fergus snorted, "So expect a rivalry between 'em because Chase does not like to share."

_Gods I hope not. Though come to think of it…_

As Rhode imagined Annabeth and Clarisse childishly vying for her attention, she couldn't resist chuckling.

Fergus snickered as well, "See? Hilarious!"

"Big time."

* * *

Rhode rapidly tapped her pencil on the piece of paper before her as she sat at her drawing table within Cabin Three. Her free hand ran through her hair in frustration as she frowned at her lack of progress at coming up with a workable plan to rob Gringotts for the the last Horcrux.

"That won't work either! Argh, I wish there was a stable in Diagon Alley, I could use some kind of distraction for the bank. No! Stupid idea! That would just get the horses killed by the goblins." She grumbled as she dropped her pencil. Thoroughly annoyed, she wadded up the piece of paper and tossed it into her trash can. A can that was so full of sketches for other discarded ideas that the latest addition almost fell back out.

She was just feeling the need to lash out somehow, maybe go to the arena and see if she could spar for a while when an electronic jingle tickled her ears.

Turning to her phone, she barely withheld a groan at the text message she'd just received.

 _You best destroy the cup soon. S_ omething _is going to happen. -Thanatos_

"Isn't telling me that against the rules or something?" Rhode asked herself aloud, "Hmm. Probably not I guess. He's not much of a rulebreaker. Besides, it's not like he told me exactly what was about to happen. Might be skirting them though."

 _Which means that whatever is about to happen is serious enough to have him test his code._ The witch realized, even as she began to get a sense foreboding. _I need to make sure to get this done_ before _whatever it is happens._

Acting quickly to reassure the worried god, she texted him a reply.

_Already on the case and making plans now. Will double time. -Rhode_

Placing the phone back down, Rhode rubbed her temples in thought.

"Looks like I need help. Time to call up the think tank ASAP."

* * *

"Thank you all for coming," Rhode greeted the group of campers she had invited to the amphitheater, "if you're hungry, as always we have complimentary snacks and drinks off to the side."

She pointed out the baked goods that Emily had, as a favor, prepared for the event.

The group of campers mainly consisted of children of Hermes and Athena, but included the odd camper from other Cabins that Rhode thought might be able to help. They were the best and brightest campers that Rhode could convince to help her plot a way to break into Gringotts Bank to steal the last horcrux and finish her quest.

A chunk of them had dropped out after the Seashell Incident, most being from Athena Cabin, citing that they wanted nothing to do with her. In fact, the most mean boy had claimed that all she was doing was getting them to come up with, in his own words, "a hare brained scheme that Rhode will just screw up while killing people in the process."

Rhode wouldn't lie, that had stung. But in a way, she deserved it. That didn't make it any easier though when it was shoved so blatantly in her face. Despite that, she managed to ignore it for the most part and just thanked him for his help till then like she had with all the others who had dropped out.

Thank the gods, Annabeth, Lee and Luke had helped her out and managed to convince some of their siblings they were closer with to continue helping her out. Though after Annabeth's fall from grace recently, her contribution on this front hadn't amounted to much. She'd only managed to get her brother, Malcolm and sister, Rachel to keep coming. Lee and Luke had better luck and managed to get around a dozen to show up regularly. The, dare she say it, flighty nature of the children of Hermes made it difficult to make sure they showed up all the time but both of her friends did their best. This time they'd even brought along their newest siblings, the Stoll sorta twins.

 _The Stolls confuse the hell outta me. I mean they technically aren't twins but they are just_ so _alike that it's easy to forget that._ Rhode mused as she saw the two boys fidgeting nervously.

"Alright," Rhode said as she focused in on the matter at hand and began the meeting proper. "I'll repeat for those who are new, our target is the goblin bank Gringotts. It's supposedly 'impenetrable'."

"Until three years ago." Lee added with a cheeky grin.

"Doesn't that tie in with the stone thing from your school?" Jack asked from the crowd.

"Yeah, the Phil Rock." Gaige nodded.

"The _Philosopher's Stone_." Lee corrected her.

"Whatever, it's a rock. And nothing special either. I'm sure that I can make something that does everything it does and probably better." The daughter of Hephaestus scoffed.

"Focus." Rhode told them, making them quit their squabbling. "Now I need to get in there and destroy that stupid Horcrux. Lee, you've been there the most, mind recapping what you know."

"Honestly, Rhode," Lee said with an exaggerated sigh as he stood up. "I told you that you should type all this up into a handout or something and just give it to any newbies."

"But it would've been a waste of paper." Su countered with a cheeky smirk.

"Go hug a tree." Lee deadpanned.

"Guys, focus!" Rhode said even as she barely refrained from palming her face. These sessions always seemed to get sidetracked by spats and arguments. It was amazing that they made as much progress as they had. "Like I said when I asked you to guys to come, according to Lord Thanatos I don't have much time left."

"And he didn't even bother giving a better idea on the deadline you're working with. He sure is helpful." Luke noted sardonically, "Lee, just start talking."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Grumpypants Sir." Lee snarked at the blond and started listing off what he knew about the bank.

"A magical bank? One that's notoriously hard to break into?" One of the Stolls, Rhode thought it might be Connor, said with an intrigued gleam in his eyes.

"I believe a challenge has been presented." The other 'twin', Travis she hoped, grinned broadly.

"One with an indeterminate time limit." Rachel observed with an uncertain look, like she didn't think they were up to the task. "That's difficult."

"Agreed." Malcolm furrowed his brow. "But that just means we have to crack it as soon as possible."

"We can do it!" Annabeth offered encouragingly.

This was met with nods all around, some more enthusiastic and confident than others.

Rhode smiled at this as they got into it and picked up where they left off, hashing out ideas.

_Looks like I'll have a plan soon after all._

* * *

The think tank was taking a fifteen minute break and Rhode found herself smiling at Jack as he told her a joke. It was nice to see the old Jack again, but the child of Poseidon felt it was… forced in a way. Like he was still only just going through the motions. It made her want to frown, but for his sake, she held back.

Jack didn't have the same restraint as he let his own smile fall into a scowl as he looked over her shoulder. Following his gaze, she saw Chiron coming over.

"I need a drink." Jack said, getting up and leaving before the centaur could even greet him.

The Trainer of Heroes came to a halt before Rhode, his face filled with sadness at the son of Khione's reaction.

"Umm. He'll get over it?" The child of Poseidon consoled uncertainly.

"I doubt that, at least not for a long while." Chiron heaved a sigh, but soon flashed her a small smile. "How goes the planning thus far?"

Rhode respected the centaur's decision to avoid the subject of his relationship with Jack and proceeded to follow his lead by updating him on the think tank's progress so far.

"We've got a plan for getting to the vault, though our exit strategy needs some work." The scion of the seas told him.

"It's good that you're making headway." Chiron said with a nod. "Especially considering the things that I've heard about what's been going on in England as of late."

"Such as?" Rhode frowned, having a foreboding feeling at this.

"It's nothing to worry about, my dear. Just focus on your quest. You are nearly done after all."

"Alright, if you're sure." Rhode said, trying to sound confident at his assurances, even as she couldn't shake off the sliver of worry in the back of her mind.

Shaking off the feeling, Rhode called for the end of their break and continued their planning.

* * *

A couple days after the last think tank session, Rhode, Lee and Annabeth were walking down Diagon Alley on their way to Gringotts and the Horcrux within.

"Thanks Rhode." Annabeth said for what seemed like the umpteenth time as they turned towards a side alley just as they got in sight of Gringotts. "I really appreciate that you gave me this chance to redeem myself."

"Don't take this lightly, Annabeth." Rhode told her sternly, "I'm still angry with you, but second chances are hard to come by. Lucky for you, one came up."

"Luke was adamant on coming too, so it was one blonde or the other." Lee snorted, giving the blonde girl a look.

"Luke isn't in the right place for another quest at the moment." Rhode shook his head. "He's too much of a mess."

"Not disputing that." Lee quickly agreed with her.

She had noticed there was a lot more tension in Cabin Eleven then usual. Rhode worried that Luke and Lee would break out into a brawl sooner or later.

By this point, the trio had reached a dark corner of the narrow alley they'd been walking down since they turned off Diagon Alley and Lee quickly began to look around to make sure they were alone.

"Ok, we're clear." Lee noted. "Time to pull out that cloak of yours."

Rhode pulled the large cloak from her small backpack and flicked it open, "Alright, everyone get under."

They all huddled up under the cloak, bunching together so tightly that Annabeth was smooshed between the two older teens. Invisible, the trio headed to Diagon Alley and cautiously navigated its crowds till they reached the goblin bank. Once there they shuffled up the staircase, sticking to the right side so as to not bump into anyone. Slowly advancing up the stairs, they made it through the threshold of the entrance easily enough.

With no alarms going off, Rhode noted with relief. _So far so good._

The main hall wasn't particularly crowded and with some careful maneuvering the trio managed to squeeze pass the bank's staff and customers undetected and make their way down the corridor to the landing where the magical carts that headed down to the vaults came to pick up passengers.

"And now we wait." Lee whispered so softly that only their close proximity and her demigod hearing allowed her to hear him.

 _Patience, our greatest foe._ Rhode inwardly snickered.

The gods were with them as only a couple minutes later, a bald, tall, well built man with unnaturally pallid looking skin and an odd metal eyepatch over his right eye that was dressed in an expensive looking suit was escorted by a goblin into one of the carts.

To their good fortune, the man was taking an abnormally long time edging his way onto the cart. Something which earned him a sneer from his goblin escort, which if his smirk was anything to go by was exactly what he wanted.

"Now now, where's that customer satisfaction I've heard about? Smile more." He gestured to the goblin.

"Load onto the cart, _sir_." The goblin smiled, though it strangely looked like it was mixed with a sneer.

"Was that so hard?" The man chuckled as he stepped into the cart.

Just in time, Rhode and her company finished getting aboard as well. It was a close thing though and the daughter of Poseidon barely stifled a sigh of relief.

As the cart sped into the tunnels and the adrenaline slowly started to ebb, at least a little, Rhode became aware of a strange feeling. The man was for some reason giving off a powerful, for lack of a better word, aura. The same kind that she usually only sensed when around the most powerful monsters and immortals or gods.

 _This is a quest though. Gods aren't allowed to intervene. So is he a monster?_ Rhode mused as she fingered Spellbound's disguised form warily.

Rhode wasn't given much time to ponder the possibility though as the cart came to a stop at the man's vault. The demigods were forced to wait patiently once more as the man and goblin stepped off before they did the same.

They then waited for the man and goblin to finish with their visit to his vault, all the while Rhode's sense of unease at the man's strange aura kept growing. Something not helped by the smirk he sported as he got back into the cart, particularly the way he tilted his head seemingly to look the demigods straight on though Rhode might have just been imagining that.

"Anyone else a little freaked out by that guy?" Rhode asked nervously as the cart disappeared down the winding tunnels and they threw off the Invisibility Cloak. "He didn't feel human."

"I'm pretty sure you're right." Lee frowned, "I'm really hoping we don't have to fight him."

"Agreed." Annabeth chimed in. "But we should really focus on getting the Horcrux for now."

"Right. Lee where should we go?"

The son of Hermes took a deep breath and adopted a look of utmost concentration. A moment later, he turned towards a small narrow tunnel, one of many, that branched off the cavern they were currently standing in.

"This way." He said as he walked off. "Just follow me ladies."

"What a gentleman." Rhode said exasperatedly as she and Annabeth followed his lead, "Where's this directional sense of yours when we need it other times? Like when we were traveling through a sewer?"

"It only works when I'm stealing stuff." Lee shrugged, "Blame dad's 'situational' only policy. I usually just get a slightly better sense of direction than normal otherwise."

"He is the traveller god though, so why don't you have this all the time?" The blonde in the group asked him.

"Because getting lost is normal for travelling." Lee cheekily told Annabeth, who pouted at the answer.

"Cute." Rhode told him dryly, "Stop teasing Annabeth and focus, GPS Boy."

"Again, you always just want me for my body." Lee sighed and Rhode looked about ready to punch him in the shoulder when he pointed up ahead, "Alright, we need to climb up this ridge and go a few yards east."

The daughter of Poseidon withheld her urge to hit him and looked at the steep slope, "Alright, Annabeth, you're first."

Annabeth nodded and began to climb up, her hands gripping any loose rock she could reach. In seconds she was at the top, took a look around before she waved to indicate that the coast was clear and they were free to follow her up.

"Lee." Rhode jutted her chin for him to go next.

"Air Jordan," He smirked and dove wings sprung from his converse sneakers and he flew up.

"Show off." Rhode rolled her eyes and jumped up the wall, her hands grabbing onto the loose rocks. She scaled the wall far more nimbly than Annabeth had and pulled herself up after she reached the top. Dusting her hands, she looked around, seeing a tunnel with a much lower ceiling but no vaults.

"I thought you said it was just ahead?"

"I said we'd still need to go a few yards east and we're facing north at the moment, so it's just around the corner." Lee said as he pointed down a right turning corner.

"Right. Let's go." Rhode said with a nod, as she took the lead.

* * *

It only took a few minutes of walking before the tunnel opened up into another cavern with a number of vaults built into the far side. One of which was the Lestrange vault which contained their prize, the last Horcrux.

However, there was a major obstacle in the way. Tethered to the ground in front of them, barring access to the vaults was a gigantic dragon. The beast's scales was pale and flaky, likely due to its incarceration under the ground; its eyes were milkily pink; both rear legs bore heavy cuffs from which chains led to enormous pegs driven deep into the rocky floor. Its great spiked wings, folded close to its body, would have filled the chamber if it spread them. As they exited the tunnel, it turned its ugly head toward them and sniffed the air, detected them and roared so loudly that the rock trembled, before it opened its mouth and spat a jet of fire that sent them running back up the passageway.

The flames chased after them and the trio were forced to jump back down the ridge to escape being toasted.

"Lee, catch us!"

"Air Jordan!" Lee shouted as he deployed his winged shoes and grabbed the girls. He wasn't able to carry them and keep them in the air, but he was able to slow down their fall from something fatal into just a painful landing.

"What, no Cerberus?" Rhode tried to sound flippant, even as she hissed in pain while scrambling to her feet and helping Annabeth up.

"I did say that dragons were part of the goblins' security system." Lee noted, as his statement was punctuated by another gout of dragonfire streaming overhead.

When that had come up in the think tank sessions, Rhode had dismissed them as a serious threat. She'd killed dozens of the things earlier this summer while helping Luke prepare for his quest after all. Now though, she was regretting her overconfidence. Not only was this dragon bigger than any of the ones she'd fought before, its goblin masters had also set things up so that it was perfectly placed to roast any and all intruders that tried to get past it. With the narrow tunnels that led to the chambers serving as excellent funnels for its deadly breath.

"Yeah, you did." Rhode said dismissively. "More importantly, any ideas on how to get out of this tunnel? The lizard has us totally pinned down at the moment."

"It looked like it was blind, do we have something to mess with its sense of smell?" Annabeth quickly asked the two older campers, looking hopeful.

Lee shook his head, "No, it's not like I carry dungbombs or stink pellets on me twentyfour seven."

"You don't?" Rhode asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Ha, ha." Lee returned with a mock chuckle and knitted his brow, "Alright, so it's got us in a choke point. We need to bust through first so we can get into the open area."

Almost as if the dragon could hear him and decided to emphasize Lee's point, or maybe some god's idea of a joke, yet another stream of flame roared over the demigods' heads.

"Rhode could go first and make a wall of water to protect us from the breath attack." Annabeth suggested, as her eyes flickered all over the place as though her thoughts were going a million miles a second. "Lee, do you know any magic that can blow away the steam so we can get in?"

"Not in a tunnel like this. I might be able to blow it at the dragon but I'm thinking that'll just mix it with Rhode's wall and make things harder for her. But maybe- Yeah, that could work." Lee nodded, "I can use the Protego variant I've been working on, Protego Testudo. It creates a bubble of protection that should be strong enough to keep us safe from the dragonfire."

"How long?" Rhode asked pointedly, knowing that a spell capable of withstanding something as potent as a dragon's fire breath would be incredibly draining.

Another stream of fire poured down the tunnel above them.

"Not long." Lee admitted. "Two, maybe three minutes tops."

"That should be enough time." Annabeth chimed in. "But we'll need to time things right and be quick."

"Bethy, you sure?"

The daughter of Athena nodded confidently. "The dragon is breathing fire at us periodically, so it knows we're still here. But it isn't doing so continuously which is the smart thing to do. Ergo, it can't."

"Or it's just stupid." The son of Hermes countered.

"Maybe." Annabeth conceded. "But even if that's the case, it'll take time for it to change strategies. Time that we can use to get a head start running down the tunnel."

"So we wait till it finishes flaming, get over the ridge and sprint it while under Lee's spell?"

"Exactly."

"You girls will need to be hanging onto the rock wall ready to spring over the top of the ridge at a moment's notice. Think you can manage that?"

"The Climbing Wall is worse. We can handle it." Rhode affirmed, even as Annabeth nodded.

"Then let's get into position and wait for the overgrown lizard to get spitting."

"Spitting? Really?" Rhode said with a shake of her head as she started to climb.

Lee shrugged as he took to the air and hovered just below the lip of the ridge. "It was the best I could come up with."

Meanwhile, the two flightless demigods scaled the ridge till they were hanging a foot below the ledge and waited. Lee fluttered right behind them, his wand in hand.

Annabeth said not a word, instead doing nothing but muttering numbers under her breath. It was a tense few moments, but then a surge of fire poured down the tunnel. The heat was intense and for a moment, Rhode was worried that she'd catch fire just from being too close.

"Now!" The blonde shouted as Lee flew over the two and they scrambled over the ledge. They broke into a sprint the moment they made it over the top, pouring on the speed as Lee shouted out.

"Protego Testudo!"

Immediately a shimmering dome of white light appeared around the trio of half bloods as they raced down the passageway, but it quickly turned invisible and only the faint feeling of magical power that lingered in the air told them that the spell was still working.

Lee dutifully kept pace with the two girls as they ran with everything they had, even as beads of sweat made their way down his face as he concentrated hard on maintaining the spell.

It was fortunate that he did, as seemingly sensing their new tactic, the dragon roared angrily and breathed yet another stream of fire down the tunnel.

As the dragonfire hit the shield bubble, it flashed a brilliant white and Lee gave a pained groan. Rhode flinched as she imagined how difficult it was for Lee as he pitted his magic against the raw power of a dragon, but she never broke her stride. The best thing she could do right now was to get out of this tunnel as soon as possible.

After what felt like an eternity but must have only been a minute or two , the demigods finally made it past the entrance. Immediately, Rhode banked left and out of the cover of Lee's spell, thankfully out of the inferno the beast was unleashing as well. At the same time, she twisted the cap on the sleek water bottle that hung on the back of her belt.

It was a magical item that Chiron had commissioned Gaige to make for her, to make sure she'd have access to water everywhere she went. While it looked small, the daughter of Hephaestus had boasted about pulling a TARDIS on it so that it was a lot bigger on the inside than the outside, thus allowing it to serve as a large reservoir of water.

Rhode had been leery about taking it. After the Seashell Incident, she wasn't exactly hyped to be carrying around a portable water source. Chiron had insisted though, arguing that it would help her gradually ease back into summoning water. Something that Rhode felt wasn't going to happen any time soon. He'd sweetened the deal by reassuring her that the bottle had been enchanted to eliminate the possibility of creating a pressure jet and to be unbreakable to boot. The daughter of Poseidon only agreed to take it along after hearing that.

Right now though, she couldn't help but be grateful as water flowed out in a steady low pressure stream. Waving her hand, she transformed the water into chunks of hail and launched them at the dragon's pale eyes.

One of the chunks of ice struck true and the dragon stopped breathing fire to instead release a roar of pain. This gave Lee the chance to drop his spell and soar into the upper reaches of the large cavern.

The injured dragon sniffed the air, as if uncertain where its new attacker had come from. It was a small opening, and Rhode barely had enough water to do anything substantial but she nevertheless coalesced all she had and froze it into a single large ice javelin that she sent flying at the creature.

If the dragon's roars were earthshaking before, they had nothing on the ear bursting one it unleashed as Rhode's frozen projectile pierced its scaled hide and impaled it to the ground via its right forelimb.

Exploiting this, Lee swiftly dove at the injured beast as he pulled out several vials of a familiar green liquid form his satchel that he proceeded to toss at the dragon. They shattered against its pale scales, causing green flames to burst into life and wash over the dragon's back.

 _Greek Fire_ _bombs? But those explosions were so small. Did he dilute them?_ Rhode thought as the dragon snarled and hissed, spitting flames into the air.

"Whoa!" Lee exclaimed as he swerved in the air, dodging the jets. "Come on, I've seen lizards spit better!"

The dragon seemed intelligent enough to understand him as almost as if in response to his words, it flared its nostrils and proceeded to snarl and snap its jaws at Lee.

Seeing an opening, Rhode gathered a large amount of water around its other foreleg and flash froze it. With all its limbs now locked down, it was a sitting duck. It seemed to know it too, as it released yet another quake inducing roar.

Turning to face its left foreleg - the one Rhode had just frozen - the dragon began breathing a weak stream of flame over the block of ice keeping it restrained.

Rhode had lost track of Annabeth since they both had split up from Lee at the beginning of the fight, but the blonde made her presence felt once more as she made use of its distraction to dash forward, her dagger drawn. She climbed up its impaled limb and the dragon roared again, snapping its maw at its wounded foreleg.

Annabeth screamed and jumped off the limb, wildly swinging her dagger as she did. Managing to, by sheer luck, score a strike on her way down and cutting the dragon's injured eye.

The blonde landed on her arm with an audible crack that indicated the snapping of bone.

"Ah!" Annabeth screamed in pain, cradling her broken limb, her dagger slipping a few feet from her.

The daughter of Athena's cry of pain was overshadowed though by another roar by the thoroughly abused dragon, as it began flailing in agony. It's thrashing was so intense that it freed itself from the ice that had been keeping it pinned, wounding itself further in the process and sending it into even wilder spasms of pain.

Rhode only paid the lizard half her mind however as she shaped the water into a rope like construct that she used to snake around Annabeth's good arm and pull her away from the thrashing beast.

By the time Annabeth was safely in Rhode's arms she was a mess. Her back was cut up from being dragged along the rocky ground, but worse was her left arm. It was very obviously broken, not only was it twisted at an odd angle but there was even a small piece of bone that had broken the skin.

"Hold on, it's going to be okay." Rhode said as she had a bubble of water cover the blonde's broken limb and began to heal it.

Even as Annabeth hissed and visibly fought back tears, she looked around and seemed to be analyzing the situation. At the moment, Rhode was healing Annabeth, the blonde was obviously out of the fight for the moment, and Lee was busy distracting the dragon by dropping Greek Fire bombs on it or shooting it with bombardment spells whenever it seemed to fight past its pain enough to remember that there was enemies for it to kill.

"We need to kill it." The daughter of Athena managed out through gritted teeth. "Security is going to come check out what's happening any second now."

Rhode agreed, though she had thought they would have shown up already. A well of worry began to swell in her gut but she swept it aside for the moment as she healed Annabeth's arm. She was at her limits of tolerance already. Watching the protruding bone sink back into the blonde's flesh and her yelp of pain as the arm slowly twisted back into its proper place broke her heart.

"Alright, you're good but it's going to still sting."

"That doesn't matter, we need to-" She paused, her grey eyes shimmered with brilliance. "Lee! Lure it forward twenty seven feet!"

"Alright!" The son of Hermes responded and began to do so, flying backward and taunting the beast even as he continued to hit it with an endless series of harassing attacks.

Annabeth turned to Rhode, "You need to take down that stalactite."

Seeing where the girl was pointing, Rhode immediately caught on to what the daughter of Athena had in mind. There hanging over the spot where Lee was luring the dragon towards was a massive stalactite, one big enough to likely squash the creature into a smear if it fell on it.

"You're a genius, Bethy." Rhode grinned and opened her pouch to pop the corks of one of her vials. With a flourish of her hand, Scorpio's venom whipped out like a serpent. It flew right towards the rock above eating steadily through the material.

Not everything went according to plan however as the chains attached to the dragon's rear limbs stretched taut and stopped the dragon in its tracks feet from where they wanted it to be.

"Take out the chains!" Annabeth shouted out the obvious.

"On it!" Lee replied, over the frustrated roars of the fire breathing lizard as he fished out another vial of Greek Fire, and wound his arm, "And Jordan with the fastball special!"

He tossed the vial like a pro, causing Greek Fire to explode behind the dragon, simultaneously snapping the creature's thick goblin-made chains and further infuriating the beast. Using its new freedom, the creature lunged at the son of Hermes, forcing him to dodge to the side.

Its lunge however also served to put it exactly where the demigods wanted it.

"Rhode! Now!"

"Done!" The daughter of Poseidon declared as her venom finished its work and the mass of hanging stone snapped, sending what must have been hundreds of tons of stone falling onto the beast.

The dragon's head shot towards the sound of the cracking stone and the whooshing sound of its fall. Seemingly realizing its fate, it let out one last sad roar that was cut short as it was crushed.

"Ah!" Lee exclaimed as he was showered in blood and bits of loose gravel, his fancy flying saving him from being crushed by an impact with one of the more substantial chunks of earth sent flying by the dragon killing rockfall. Busily wiping the debris from his face, he cursed. "By Olympus! That's totally not cool!"

Rhode released a sigh of relief and sat on her rear for a moment, laughing at Lee's predicament. Annabeth joined her, throwing her arms around Rhode's waist and looked up at her with smile.

Looking down at her, Rhode felt a sense of pride well up at how well Annabeth had handled herself. She had really proven herself today, having more than made good on her second chance.

_If she keeps this up, she'll just be soaring to greater heights from here on out._

At that thought something clicked in the daughter of the seas' mind. It prompted her to recall something that she had heard what felt like forever ago.

 _By the dragon's roar does wisdom soar._ The Oracle's mummified voice rasped in her ear when she'd first received the prophecy regarding her quest to destroy the Horcruxes.

 _Heh, so it does._ Rhode smirked and ruffled Annabeth's blonde locks, "Alright, break's over. Let's get that dumb cup and get home."

* * *

Annabeth did her best to compose herself after her near death by dragon mauling. Fiddling nervously with her recovered dagger, she found comfort from its familiar weight in her hand.

 _Rhode was right. Quests are a lot tougher than fighting a monster in the woods back at Camp._ The blonde wouldn't admit it, but her hands had a small tremor in them. She looked up at Rhode, who continued walking as if nothing had happened at all. _How can she just brush that off so easily?_

"Lee, come on." Rhode said.

"Just let me get the gore out of my mouth woman!" The son of Hermes complained as he continued to spit on the ground.

"Fine, just hurry up. We need to know which vault it is."

"It's this one." Lee said indicating the vault on the extreme right of the cavern.

"That's what we have to break into?" Annabeth asked, feeling a sense of awe at the architectural design of the vault. All the intricate locks and designs etched into the door were fascinating.

"This is a seriously impressive lock." Lee said as he examined the door to the vault they needed to rob. Letting out a loud whistle, he added. "It's gonna be pretty tough to crack."

"So you can't handle this?"

"Just give me two minutes." Lee scoffed, sounding genuinely hurt that Rhode thought so little of him.

Rhode just shook her head in amusement, and Lee cracked a smile of his own.

 _Huh? They were just bantering? I thought Lee was seriously upset, yet Rhode somehow knew he wasn't._ Annabeth noted with a frown. _They're a lot closer than I thought._

Even as they chatted, the daughter of Athena noted that Rhode kept a close eye on their surroundings.

"It's strange." The older demigoddess noted, her eyes shifting around them. "Where's the goblins' security? They should have showed up ages ago."

 _She's right!_ Annabeth realized with a start. With all the commotion that their fight with the dragon had caused, surely the goblins would've figured out that they were there and flooded the tunnels to try and stop them. _So where are they?_

Before the child of wisdom could even start working on that particular puzzle and after exactly two minutes since he'd started, Lee finished cracking the vault lock and the door melted away. Inside was a cavelike opening crammed from floor to ceiling with golden coins and goblets, silver armour, the skins of strange creatures — some with long spines, others with drooping wings — potions in jewelled flasks, and a skull still wearing a crown.

The son of Hermes was panting with his hands on his knees, but he nevertheless cheekily said. "Two minutes, note it!"

"Will do, hotshot." Rhode said distractedly as she peered into the literal treasure cave.

After a moment of searching, the daughter of Poseidon spotted what they'd been looking for and declared. "There!"

Annabeth followed her gaze and spied a small gold cup with two handles and some kind of engraving. It was too far away to be sure what the craving was exactly, but based on what she knew about the cup's history she reasoned it was probably a badger or some other symbol of Helga Hufflepuff.

Wiping some sweat from his brow, Lee said warningly, "There's bound to be traps in there from the goblins. This does belong to one of their oldest and most influential clients. Plus, Lestrange's a twisted bint. You bet she put her own little nasties in here."

"Rhode, how are you going to-oh." Annabeth cut herself off as her friend opened her poison pouch.

The daughter of Poseidon summoned a stream of her poison and with a flick of her wrist sent a dark green arrow of poison flying into the cave. It struck the cup and swiftly reduced it to slag.

A dark wail resounded in the underground cavern even as black smoke erupted from the bubbling remains of the cup and dispersed in the air.

"There." Rhode said with a victorious smirk. "This quest's done."

"Bravo!" A cheerful voice that was accompanied by applause came from behind them, causing all three demigods to spin around in surprise.

Standing there was the man from the cart earlier, surrounded by a dozen armed goblins, clapping at them. The bodies of the goblins were twisted and deformed however, with tumors all over their body and even additional malformed limbs. Worse than all that was the oppressive aura that the group was pumping out, one that was unmistakably divine.

_What in Olympus' name!?_

* * *

"Son of a..." Rhode nostrils flared, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I'm regretting not slitting your throat as we rode the mine cart."

"Ah, but that would have ruined your plan to destroy that little trinket that Thanatos wanted you to."

"And put a damper on your day plan too?" The child of Poseidon added as she pulled out her spyglass, changing it into Spellbound. The sharp tips were aimed right at the 'man', ready and willing to stab him.

Eyepatch guy merely smiled, as if her aggression amused him, "Such a temper on you. Just like Poseidon. Unfortunately, child, you don't have the power to back it up."

Rhode kept her weapon poised, Annabeth readied her dagger as Lee did the same with his knives.

"How about you back off and not find out if I really _can_ back it up." She warned as she inched in front of her two friends.

"Such violence, all I wished for was to congratulate you on completing your quest." He smiled broadly.

"Thanks, now tell me what the hell you are." Rhode demanded, her grip tightening around Spellbound as she edged closer and closer into striking distance of the 'man'.

"Oh! Have I forgotten to introduce myself? Well let me rectify that." The man said before he offered a shallow bow. "I go by Paradigm. I was a god once, even had a pretty impressive name. But that was before I faded."

"A faded god?" Annabeth gasped in confusion. "But he looks fine. What's going on here? I don't understand!"

"That's for you to find out, isn't it, daughter of Athena?" The so-called faded god said with a smirk.

Annabeth looked ready to press for more answers but Lee put a restraining hand on her shoulder and jumped into the conversation. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh that?" Paradigm said, still smirking. "A little voice let me know you were coming here. So with some rescheduling of my plans-"

Rhode paused, her eyes widened a fraction and she grit her teeth, "Plans?"

"Yes, plans. Oh! Before I forget, let's do what we came here for. My friends, let's test out our new hosts shall we?"

At his command, the twisted goblins charged the demigods. For abominations with misshapen limbs, the things moved with impossible grace and speed, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Rhode found herself facing off against five of the creatures.

_Damn! I hate being so popular!_

Each of her opponents were armed with a different gear set. One wielded a sword and shield combo, another a massive warhammer made out of cracked earth, a third was carrying around a hoe like a lance, the fourth was clutching a jar and the last was strangely enough equipped with a large feather. More worrying though was the fact that all of their equipment were clearly of divine origin, even if Rhode couldn't recognize them. Their aura was unmistakable.

"DiE, sEAspAWN!" The warhammer wielding goblin cried in a barely intelligible voice as it jumped into the air with its hammer swung over it's head ready to squash her like a bug.

Rhode dove out of the way, or at least tried to. As she jumped to the side, the feather wielding goblin waved its weapon lazily at her and sent a gust of wind that sent her sprawling to the ground and directly into the path of the hammer.

The daughter of the seas would have been a goner if not for the hoe wielder jumping to stand over her body and catching the hammer's descent along the length of its weapon.

"FoOLS! NeED InTAcT BoDY!"

"Thanks for the save," Rhode called out insincerely, as she rolled out of the impact zone and sprung to her feet, knocking her savior to the ground in the process and causing him to break his stance. This led him to being unable to continue holding up the hammer which proceeded to crush him flat. "But no thanks to whatever sick scheme you have for my body."

A frustrated wail, not unlike the ones emitted by Voldemort's Horcruxes as they were destroyed but infinitely more intense, echoed through the cavern even as golden mist escaped from the crashed remains of the dead goblin.

_That's one do-_

Rhode's celebratory line of thought was interrupted as the swordsman appeared seemingly out of nowhere and tried to gut her. The daughter of Poseidon desperately tried to parry while trying to backpedal, but it was moving too fast. It moved faster than _anything_ Rhode had ever seen before. Unable to react in time, Rhode earned herself a deep cut along her arm.

"Asshole!" She snarled in pain, as her injured arm fell limply to her side, a good number of the tendons in her arm severed, and her blood flowing freely.

Gripping Spellbound with only one hand, Rhode was full of openings, but the swordsman didn't capitalize on any of them. Instead, it just seemed to freeze up.

Rhode called on the water from her earlier fight with the dragon to encase her wounded arm to allow it to heal and to give her a much needed boost. Simultaneously, she moved to try and stab it, but was intercepted by a swarm of monstrous bees the size of hamsters flying into her face. She swatted a host of them out of the air with Spellbound, but there were too many of them and they easily swarmed through her guard.

"Get off!" She shouted as she sprayed water on them, trying to gain a moment to breathe. However, there were still too many of them and they just barreled through the burst of water while using their fellows as living shields. Dozens made it past her defenses and smothered her body, stinging her repeatedly.

Rhode tried to call on her Toxikinesis to fight off their venom but it refused to grab hold of it for some reason. Worse yet, the venom seemed to drain her powers somehow, making _all_ of them unresponsive.

"THerE! ReSTRained!" The goblin with the jar declared even as a host of bees swarmed around it, and it dipped its finger in its jar to pull out a sliver of gooey substance that it licked off its finger. "YuM! GoOD HoNEY."

"How are they so powerful?" Annabeth wheezed out from where she was being pinned by a goblin with insanely bulging muscles and dressed in a bearskin. "Is what he said true? Are they all being possessed by faded gods?"

"Bravo!" Paradigm congratulated mockingly. "You are truly a credit to Athena. I wonder how well you'd be as a host."

"He's here to steal our bodies!" Lee observed horrified, from where he was wrapped up like a mummy in cloth that led to a bolt of fabric being held by a abnormally thin waif of a goblin.

Rolling along the ground, Rhode's fingers dug into the earth as pain washed over her. Rage bubbled up within her like nothing else and her head turned to glare at the grinning Paradigm.

Fighting through the pain, Rhode raised a fist into the air, "Fuck that!"

Using every ounce of her will she reached for her powers, any of them. Where usually calling on her powers were like second nature, this time it was like moving through molasses and was even painful. But she pushed ahead nonetheless, knowing that the fate of her friends and her own were at stake. The harder she pushed, the more painful it became. From a dull prickling sensation at first, it grew into an intense agony that threatened to strip her of her very sanity. She pushed through regardless and through sheer force of will grabbed onto one of her powers. It was one she hadn't expected though.

Still in mind numbing pain, she slammed her fist down like a hammer. The force of her blow sent cracks spreading like a spider web across the cavern and the earth to shake violently.

She knew it was reckless of her to use her geokinesis in this situation, but she out of options.

Sadly, all her struggles were for nought as the goblin with the stone hammer just gave a disappointed sigh and suddenly exploded. Like before, its death was accompanied by a world shaking wail, its weapon disappearing and a dispersing cloud of gold mist, that almost overshadowed how the cavern stopped its violent shakes.

Shocked, Rhode could only look on wide eyed as her best effort amounted to absolutely nothing. She was so out of it that she didn't even notice as the swordsman she'd be fighting earlier had angrily stalked up to her until he kicked her so hard that it sent her flying hard into the cavern wall.

She almost blacked out from that, and it was only the thin coat of water that had soaked into her clothes from her earlier attempt to heal herself and was still fueling her accelerated healing that kept her from passing out.

"Such a reckless girl you are, young lady. But to still use your powers after being struck by that toxin? I applaud your will, but sadly it just wasn't enough."

Barely conscious, Rhode watched in horror as the splattered remains of the exploded goblin suddenly glowed gold and began levitating.

"Oh? You still want to have a go?" Paradigm asked, sounding surprised but only for a moment. "Well, go ahead then."

With his assent, the levitating bits of gore flew towards Rhode and covered her whole body. The moment it made contact with her skin, she felt a powerful sensation in her mind. As if something was diving into the very core of her being and began mercilessly pouring molten hot lava over everything that made her who she was. In response, the daughter of Poseidon let out a scream and flailed along the ground. "Get off, get off! Stay out of my head!"

Still screaming, she called upon her powers. It was easier this time, as if whatever was invading her mind had somehow negated the bees' venom. Responding to her call, water poured out of her water bottle and washed over her, taking away the gore and with it the _thing_ trying to possess her. It left her utterly exhausted however and with a splitting headache.

"Impressive Lady Rhode. Fighting off a god! Most impressive! Though considering your circumstances, that really changes nothing. I would suggest you surrender." Paradigm said as he walked up to her and she glared daggers at him. He gestured behind him, where both Lee and Annabeth were held captive.

The ones holding them couldn't even be called goblins anymore with how grotesque they had become. The bearskin wearing one had started sprouting fur and claws, even a couple of malformed bear heads from its shoulders. The waif had become literally paper thin, and now looked more like an animated paper cutout than a living thing. The others weren't much better, with the feather wielder Rhode had fought earlier having transformed into some kinda humanoid bird while the bee guy sported dozens of holes in his skin from which poured forth an endless swarm of his monstrous servants.

 _No, no! Th-There's gotta be a way out of this. Think, ugh it hurts!_ She banged her head into the ground, trying to think even as her head felt like someone was applying a jackhammer directly to her brain but nothing came to mind.

There was no backup, there was no weakness to press, there wasn't a even a Deus Ex Machina to play.

A frustrated tear rolled down her cheek as she sent apologetic glances to her friends.

 _Dad, I-I'm sorry._ Rhode thought to herself and glared furiously at Paradigm once more, "Alright, we-"

"NoT YEt!" One of the remaining mutated goblins, one that had grown to over eight feet in height, screeched as its body started to twist and contort before it spontaneously exploded.

One by one, the others followed suit, some with resigned sighs and others with angry, defiant cries. Each death was accompanied by the standard unearthly wail and dispersing cloud of golden mist. Their weapons disappearing as their masters' bodies died.

Seeing this, Rhode feebly scrambled to her feet, "No!" Fear for the blood washing over her friends driving her as she called upon her hydrokinesis. Using all the water she at hand she was ready to wash the gore away.

In the stunned silence of what happened, Paradigm just snapped his fingers. Instantly, Rhode lost her connection to the water and it fell limply to the cavern floor. The man, no god, didn't even spare her a glance, instead turning to examine one puddle of his fellows' remains with a disappointed frown on his face.

"Whoo!" Lee whooped as he got to his feet after the cloth that had restrained him vanished, "Thank you Deus Ex!"

"Lee, shut up and come help Rhode!" Annabeth screamed at him as she scrambled to the brunette's side.

"He's got ties to water." Rhode uttered under her breath as Annabeth helped her up.

Paradigm ground his teeth and turned to the demigods. "Well, this is a shame. A complete failure in this regard I would say, but still… three halfbloods, one a child of Poseidon. It wasn't a total loss."

He walked towards them menacingly, and the trio tensed, ready for the fight of their lives. He stopped however when a powerful new presence filled the cavern.

Out of nowhere, a scythe blade slashed a large gash into the ground right in front Paradigm.

"Oh! Thanatos? You're protecting them?"

The handsome teakwood skinned god of death, who had just materialized, casually twirled his stygian iron scythe and rested it on his shoulder. His wings were spread out wide, as a means to show his defense of the questers.

"Leave Paradigm." The winged god said almost kindly. "These heroes have just completed my quest and have thus earned my protection in this instance as their reward."

Paradigm ground his teeth once more, but took a calming breath. He dusted off his suit and glared at the god of death.

"Only this instance?" The one-eyed god asked cautiously.

Thanatos nodded.

The faded god's lips curled into a smile, his lone eye locked intensely on Rhode.

"Very well, I'll back off this time. But know this, Lady Rhode, I am not one to let a prize like you free for long."

Leaving his threat to hang in the air, Paradigm vanished.

Rhode could only feel greatly violated and grossed out as she thought about what he meant by her being a prize. It was a fate she'd do everything in her power to avoid. It was one worse than death after all.

* * *

The mighty Lord Voldemort fumed as he drifted near effortlessly through the supposedly impregnable protections that surrounded Malfoy Manor. In a surprising oversight, its wards did not register his current form as a threat and his essence phased through them and the physical walls of the stately estate with utter ease.

 _Pathetic! How could Malfoy completely neglect to defend his home from spirits?!_ Then again, it was not as if any protections that the Pureblood could erect would have stopped him. Just thinking about his current pitiful state as a specter, left the wizard absolutely furious! How could the most powerful wizard of the age be reduced to something that had difficulty even picking things up.

 _Though I suppose there are some advantages to this meager form. The intangibility makes getting in and out of buildings much easier. That and the increased ability it gives me to sense the state of my Horcruxes. Not that it does me any good now!_ He roared in his mind, as he recalled how not too long ago he had felt the last anchor that maintained his immortality be destroyed. Thankfully, he'd preferred for the possibility and had measures in place. Though they had unfortunately left him as nothing more than a wraith.

 _It must be that wretched Potter girl._ The specter thought as he remembered meeting her during her first year. Those blazing green eyes and the rage she carried as the child ruthlessly killed Quirrell. It was almost admirable to see such fire in a girl so young. _Next time, I will not hold back my wrath. She will see how her pitiable anger is utterly eclipsed by my world shattering fury as she perishes along with all those who stand in my way._

As he passed the threshold of a library, he could see Lucius seated at a nearby desk, writing letters.

" _Lucius."_ He said in the distorted voice that came with his current form.

At hearing his master's voice, the blond haired man went rigid in his seat and reached for his wand. Reacting with the speed that had earned the pompous aristocrat a place in his inner circle, the long-haired ponce shot out of his seat and pointed his wand towards the spirit. Instead of casting a spell and sealing his own painful death, the Death Eater recognized his lord and paled.

"M-My Lord?"

" _Lower your wand, servant."_ Voldemort hissed, angered that his own servant would aim his wand at him! The audacity!

The man swiftly did so, his face filled with apprehension. "Of course my Lord. W-Welcome to my home."

 _He hides his fear well._ Voldemort noted with the barest hint of pride. _But not well enough to fool me._

If the specter could sneer, he would, _"I have no time for your groveling, fool! It is time to serve me once more. My revolution continues and you will aid me to regain my physical form."_

It was good that the Dark Lord had researched so much into immortality. While Horcruxes were by far the best method he'd discovered, there had been many others that he'd discarded for one reason or the other. However given his current state, he could not be picky.

"B-By your will, my Lord." Malfoy said as he bent his knee in reverence, as he should.

" _Now, grab a quill and parchment, I have ingredients you will purchase."_

Malfoy reached for the items but in a moment of daring sought to question his master, "And what are these for, my Lord?"

" _You need not know, only obey!"_ The specter bellowed right in Lucius' face, causing the usually proud man to fearfully nod and patiently wait for the specter to continue.

Seeing that he had ensured his minion's compliance, Voldemort began listing out the ingredients that he would require for the ritual he had planned.

As he finished and his cowed servant finished writing, the spirit chuckled and moved on to his next set of instructions, _"And rally my followers, Lucius. I have need of my army."_

It wouldn't be long now. Soon, Lord Voldemort would have his revenge on all those who have wronged him!

Especially that blasted Potter girl.

_Just you wait, child, your death will be told for centuries._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Whoo, talk about a heavy loaded chapter huh? Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always.
> 
> Now first things first, let's talk about Jack's reaction. As we can all see, he is in utter pain. I know this seems extreme, but it really helps make his character more three-dimensional and less of a plain ol' expy of a beloved character from the ROTG franchise. It's a first step in his growth into his own character. So stick around and see how he grows from here.
> 
> Next on the list, Annabeth lost her position as Head Counselor?! I know, shocking, but you know she would always take her friend's side on things. She holds Rhode on a high pedestal and we felt the need to reflect that. Will she get her spot back? Who knows. Well we do, but that's besides the point.
> 
> Nameless: Yeah, this was also a bit of us being a little reactionary as we realized we just gave Annabeth a leadership position when she's not shown the character development in-story to justify it. Hence, us doing this to show that and Chiron stripping her of the position till, if she ever gets there, she proves she's truly capable of being a leader.
> 
> And our biggest thing in this chapter, the Faded Gods. Yes, they are crawling back, trying to regain what they have lost. Think of those Illuminati wannabes, but these are already gods. As for Paradigm, he is a call back to an old cartoon series, so I wonder if anyone is old enough to remember it lol.
> 
> Nameless: So we hope you guys liked Paradigm and his merry band of faded gods. He's our attempt to create a nemesis for Rhode and avoid the kind of lack of direction that plagued COTU. Though we have plans in store so there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. Look forward to seeing what those plans are. On another note about Paradigm, I'm pretty sure some people will get all in a twist about how Rhode got stomped by him and his crew here. Well, before you start dropping reviews complaining please stop and consider just who Rhode was facing there. They were gods! Faded ones yes, but as we explained in COTU, in our verses fading doesn't drain a god's power. It just makes the god's hold on the world less firm making them more scatterbrained. Think the Egyptian gods in Sunny Acres in the Kane Chronicles. Plus, don't forget that they totally outnumbered the questers!
> 
> Them crazy drooling gods. For the rice pudding! But seriously, gods are gods for a reason, even weakened and in frail little bodies.
> 
> Nameless: So we had a review on the last chapter that asked about my update schedule. So I'm gonna beg E4E's indulgence and explain it. Well, I'm busy as hell and juggling writing my own projects and the collabs with E4E are hard. Since I only release my own projects once I'm done writing them so that there'll be no eternal cliffhangers if I can help it, I naturally prioritize the collab work which is a publish as we write (with buffer) kinda thing. So for the few of you (I know I'm unpopular, sadface) who like my independent work, the fics will come out when I'm done with them. That said I've started publishing a small snippet collection now for my Ophisverse. If you're interested go have a look.
> 
> Now you know what to do, smash that review button and tell us what you loved! Now no flames and peace off my peeps!


	5. Two Doves, One Arrow

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Five: Two Doves, One Arrow**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Sitting in the Big House's Rec Room, Rhode was hugging herself tight as she rocked lightly in her seat as she continued struggling to process what had happened in her quest to the bank. Particularly the fact that she was almost possessed.

Unfortunately, her suffering was not earning her the sympathy she deserved.

"Oh! Get over it!" Mr. D said dispassionately. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

Rhode wanted to retort but she was still feeling too shaken to muster up the gumption. Lee and Annabeth did not have such compunctions and were ready to speak up angrily speak up against the uncaring god but were silenced by a gesture from Chiron.

"Lee," Chiron said while shooting Rhode a sympathetic look, before turning to focus on the oldest demigod. "Are you sure that Paradigm expressed interest in taking half-bloods as hosts?"

"Yeah, he looked like he wanted Rhode the most though." Lee blanched, looking sickened.

"So he has an affinity to fish. Joy for me, less trouble around here then." Mr. D sniffed as he turned another page in his magazine.

"Yes, and Lord Poseidon would certainly not blame you, Mr. D. Or would he?" Chiron mockingly pondered, making the god of wine tense.

"Whatever."

Chiron rubbed his forehead though, looking tense. "I worry over the fact that Paradigm has expressed interest in half-bloods though. If he has been taking them as hosts, it is another reason to worry for campers who only come during the summer. It is another threat they'll have to be prepared for."

"Bah!" Mr. D waved his hand dismissively. "They can handle it. Or not. Not that it matters. Besides Paradigm isn't much of a threat."

"Why does it seem like you two know Paradigm?"

Mr. D closed his magazine and sat up in the couch he laid on, looking intrigued for once. "Of course we know him, do you think we wouldn't? Yes, in fact we like his work. Getting faded gods back? A splendid idea. We could always use more minor gods around to spread out all the work of keeping the world running."

"So you help him?" Chiron asked, "I was under the impression that he was just tolerated."

"Exactly that. They can do whatever they want, we like them but not enough to support them. We have our own things to do. Besides, they hate us. Apparently because we're making do without them. They never even once think about how much extra _work_ their fading heaps on us. Ungrateful bastards." Mr. D sourly noted.

The half-bloods in the room couldn't help but be disgusted by the god's attitude.

With a flourish of his hand, a Diet Coke can made out of solid gold appeared in his hand and he popped the tab. He gave them all meaningful glances and Rhode knew what he was saying: He was a god, he could think and do whatever he wanted.

 _And we have to live with their decisions of course._ Rhode grumbled in her mind, that was something that would never change.

"Alright, all three of you," Chiron addressed the questers, looking serious, "under no circumstance are you to tell the others about this yet. I have to think about how to approach this cautiously."

Taking his warning as a dismissal, the three demigods stood up and left the Big House.

* * *

Laying in her bed in Cabin Three, Rhode strummed her fingers on her stomach as her mind drifted.

As much as she tried, the daughter of Poseidon couldn't manage to brush off what had happened.

Ruffling her hair in frustration, she turned to her side to snuggle her seal plush. "Dammit, I'm going crazy here!"

Turning back to look at the ceiling, she began thinking on her shitty situation., _I need to talk to someone about this. Maybe Chiron? No, he's busy trying to_ deal _with all this crazy. And he said I can't tell any of the other campers too. So who can I talk to?_

It was frustrating to have so few options. Turning to her other side, Rhode saw her cellphone on the nightstand and a thought occurred to her.

 _This is one of those dad moments right?_ Rhode thought to herself, it felt like one. And it was right up his alley with all the gods stuff, so why not?

Reaching for it, she hit the speed dial to call her dad. It barely rang before the call was picked up.

"Good evening, Rhode." Poseidon's voice came across the line the moment that the call connected.

"How-"

"Caller ID." The sea god replied with a chuckle. "But besides that, I have been expecting a call from you for some time."

Rhode couldn't help but be flustered by her father's response, "Am I predictable now?"

"No, however considering what happened in London it is expected."

"Oh, you heard about that. That's kind of fast."

"Yes, Dionysus can be a quite the gossip when he wants to be."

Rhode laughed, "He can't keep his mouth shut huh? Never knew he was such a blabbermouth. A jerk sure, but not that."

"Yes, he tends to get bored with nothing to do and no one to smite."

"I guess I would be bored too if I was him." Rhode reflected. Being a god trapped in one place had to be utter torture.

"Yes, but you didn't call to talk about Dionysus. Did you?"

"No, I didn't." Rhode said as she took a deep breath.

"You want to talk about almost being possessed, I presume. Am I right?"

"Mmhm." Rhode nodded as her grip around the phone tightened and her legs curled up to her chest.

"How did it feel Rhode? Can you tell me?" Her father said encouragingly.

"I felt like I was being invaded." Rhode knitted her brow in thought, "As if my very soul was being shoved aside. I hated it. It's not something I want to feel ever again. Any tips on how to avoid it?"

Her dad hummed over the line. "Well, there are a few things you could do."

"Awesome! Thanks dad." Rhode smiled, the tension she had felt earlier began to slowly leave her as the two talked through the night.

* * *

The daughter of Poseidon was sitting on a bench by the camp's hearth, sketchpad in hand as she was drew the landscape of Connecticut while using a postcard as a reference. She wasn't making much progress though, as despite her best efforts, her mind kept drifting to Chiron's announcement a couple days back about Paradigm and the other faded gods. He'd warned the campers to stay away from them as they were liable to attempt to kidnap them and use them for their experiments.

That revelation had shaken up quite a few people, but nowhere near as many as what Mr. D had said next. The ass had informed that if they ever did fall into the Paradigm's clutches, that no backup or rescue would be organised. Since, according to him, a good chunk of the gods wouldn't bat an eyelid if a demigod disappeared. Even worse, he'd actually said that he thought them giving their bodies and souls to the effort of restoring the faded gods was a good thing.

There was a lot of anger in the crowd at hearing this, but no one could really speak out. They all knew Camp was their only safe haven. If they did speak out, Mr. D wouldn't hesitate to toss them to the curb for his own amusement. Nevertheless, tensions were high now and a lot of whispers floated around the Camp. With a lot of people asking themselves why they even bothered fighting for Olympus if this was how they were being treated.

Thankfully, a number of godly parents - like Athena, Apollo, Demeter - decided they didn't really agree with Mr. D and sent various gestures to their kids. Some like Athena sent letters, while others had sent meaningful gifts to remind their children that they were not forgotten, and a host of other things besides. All of which had been delivered to Camp courtesy of Hestia, who apparently had a loophole that allowed her to freely travel to Camp even against a prohibition on godly visits Mr. D had imposed ever since Khione had showed up uninvited.

Poseidon had called Rhode right after the announcement to tell her that he would love to smack Mr. D for being, in his words, "A complete and utter dipshit."

She couldn't agree more.

"Rhode!" The aforementioned scion of the seas heard her name being called out and turned to see Su and Lee walking towards her. The two had gone to the Quidditch World Cup the other day and had just got back this morning. The first thing they did once they had was to tell her to meet them once they got settled. So while they'd gone off to put away their things and shower, Rhode had picked a spot by the camp's hearth and did some sketching to kill time as she waited.

"So just a friendly word of warning." Rhode cut in before her friends could get started. "If you guys are gonna chat my ear off about the Quidditch match, then I'm leaving."

"No, this isn't about Quidditch." Lee said seriously, as he took a seat on a bench across from where Rhode was sitting. "What we want to talk about is a lot more important."

Rhode quirked a brow at this, "Alright, hit me."

"Death Eaters attacked the Cup," Su frowned as she sat next to Rhode.

"That blows." The child of the sea eloquently put. "But I'm still not seeing why this is important. Death Eaters aren't exactly that big of a deal."

Lee and Su both nodded, before the son of Hermes continued. "That's true. If it was just that, we wouldn't be too worried. But that's not the important bit."

"Then what is?"

"Maybe, if you'll let us finish, Rhode, then you'll know?" Su chided lightly, even as her eyes lit up in faint amusement.

"Right. Sorry." The daughter of Poseidon apologised with an embarrassed blush.

Lee looked between the two girls with his own amused smirk, but didn't elaborate on whatever had caught his eye instead choosing to elaborate on whatever happened at the Cup.

"The important bit, as I was saying, was that we think whatever cast the Dark Mark was a monster. A powerful one at that."

Rhode's back straightened at hearing this and looked serious, "Do we know what kind?"

"No, but whatever it was it had an incredibly powerful aura. It even left the plants around where the Mark was...tainted." Su pursed her lips.

"In what way?" Rhode pressed, trying to think of what kind of monster would leave a taint. Something poisonous?

"Not a lot of monsters can leave a presence like that."

Su and Lee readily agreed.

"Which is why it is so worrisome." Su fiddled with her hands, looking nervous, "If it is working with the Death Eaters, it's a monster with intelligence. And we all know how dangerous those are."

It was true. A bestial monster was predictable, they tended to just attack anything they saw as a threat. Fighting one of those, while not easy, was manageable. But dealing with a monster that had a brain, that could strategize and exploit a weakness a demigod had? Those were the worst.

"Could it be one of the faded gods?"

"I don't think so." Lee shook his head, "I remember what it was like being near them. This was completely different, plus I haven't heard anything about them in Wizarding Britain since Gringotts."

"Whatever did happen to the bank? We were able to sneak out in the chaos, but the aftermath…"

"The bank's been closed for days, the goblins didn't even show up for the Cup." Su said with a worried frown. "They've been in a state of total lockdown. Apparently my father told me that the Ministry thought they were prepping for war."

"The Ministry shitting themselves?" Rhode asked with a crooked smile.

"Most certainly." Su nodded, "It was just the goblins turtling behind their defenses and circling the wagons, as it were. Many of the goblins' leaders were taken after all, and they needed time to set up a new chain of command. Not that the Ministry knew that until the goblins finished and _finally_ bothered to inform them three days later."

"Not that the average wizard knows any of that." Lee chimed in. "They all just think that the goblins decided to close Gringotts to celebrate some special festival of theirs."

"And people bought that bullshit?" Rhode asked incredulously.

Lee shrugged, "The goblins are notoriously private about their culture, so who's to say they were lying?"

"Yeah. Besides if what Father told me about how goblins select their leaders is true, then it isn't even a lie."

"That's besides the point." Lee noted with a shake of his head. "What _is_ important is the fact that thanks to what happened, the goblins, the Ministry, heck, the whole of Wizarding Britain is super tense right now. It's like it's one big powder keg. And that's not even adding in that monster."

Rhode rubbed her eyes, "We're going to have to be extra careful this year, aren't we?"

"Yep." Lee said, giving her an accusing stare.

"Don't even say it."

"Trouble. Magnet." The son of Hermes drawled.

Rhode maturely flipped him off.

* * *

The summer was waning fast, and it was only a few days before Rhode and the gang would have to return the Hogwarts. A fact that left her with a pit in her stomach. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

Something that she was sure would be involving her.

So, she was going to make the most of these last few days in Camp. Putting that into practice, she'd decided to take Jack out to ice skate. He was reluctant at first, but after some slight coaxing the two got to work to freezing a small section of the lake's surface.

Gliding across the ice, Rhode flashed the white haired boy a smile, "This is just what we needed to fight off the heat."

"Have you been practicing without me?" He asked her.

"Nope! Can't do it without my teacher." Rhode laughed as she slipped a bit, but regained her balance.

Jack got all flustered, and looked to the side, "Teacher?"

She cocked her head at his question, "Well yeah, I didn't even know how to do this before you showed me how. That makes you a teacher, Snowflake. Duh."

Jack could only pinch the bridge of his nose, "I, yes I guess so. Do you even… Nevermind, let's just skate."

That was Rhode's plan. They had a lot of fun the last time they skated, so she felt maybe this would help Jack with his current funk.

They glided around, performing a trick here and there. Each daring the other to this move or that, Rhode felt a smile come to her face each time Jack himself let out a laugh, a genuine smile or a triumphant smirk as he landed a stunt.

He braked next to her, peppering her legs in ice shavings, "Beat that flip jump."

"Oh, I'll take that challenge." Rhode grinned and started to build up speed.

She moved to jump, attempting a triple axel. Just as she finished her rotation, she landed on the tip of her skate.

"Ah!" She shouted and fell right onto the ice. Thankfully she swiftly covered her head with her arms.

"Damn, Rhode!" Jack flew over to her, "You okay?"

"I think so, just banged my knee." Rhode hissed as she looked at her injury. It was throbbing, but she could bear with it until she got some water.

"Here, let's get you to the edge." He said, offering a hand to help her up.

Rhode took it, and felt herself be pulled up, "Thanks-!" She stumbled as she got to her feet and dragged Jack down with her on the ice.

The daughter of Poseidon had landed on top of Jack. She froze as she felt a cold sensation against her lips. With a jolt, she begun to recover her awareness of her surroundings and found that the fall had left her liplocked with Jack.

 _He tastes like wintermint._ Was the first traitorous thought that crossed Rhode's mind.

It was then her eyes widened and she realized what had just happened, even as she felt a pleasant tingle run down her spine.

"I like this." She thought out loud, not even realizing she had done so.

Jack's face meanwhile had decided to imitate a tomato, not that the witch had room to fault him as she too grew red.

Embarrassed beyond belief, the daughter of Poseidon scrambled to her feet. She was so feeling so self-conscious that she completely ignored the slight burst of pain that her abused knee gave out at her action.

"I-I'm sorry, I slipped and- Are you okay?" She asked him, having trouble looking the boy in the eye.

"Uh, yeah, perfectly fine." He said, a stammer in his tone.

"So you're okay with this?" Rhode asked uncertainly, a blush blazing across her face. "The kiss I mean?"

Blushing just as badly, Jack stammered out a reply, "Ye-Yeah."

"You sure? I didn't take advantage of you or anything."

Jack actually snickered at that. It was a nervous laugh, but a laugh nonetheless and Rhode would take what she could get.

"Hey, don't worry about it." The white haired boy reassured. "You didn't. Take advantage of me, I mean."

Rhode let out a sigh of relief at that.

For a long moment, the two demigods shifted nervously while avoiding eye contact. They shot each other glances every so often but looked away almost immediately with a blush, as they thought back to the feel of the other's lips.

At last when the tension felt like it was going to boil over, Jack spoke up. "Err. So, I need to umm- Get going. We catch up later?"

"Ri-Right. Sure." Rhode replied, while fidgeting slightly. "See you later."

With a wave, Jack scurried off. Rhode watched him disappear up the path back to the cabins before she decided it was time for her to get going too.

As the daughter of the seas walked away from the lake, the sound of flapping wings caught her attention. Looking up, she spotted a beautiful white dove fly off into the distance.

 _Was that- No it can't be._ Rhode mused, as she continued her journey back to her cabin. _At least I hope it isn't Lady Aphrodite._

* * *

Pushing a bush aside, Rhode looked over her shoulder to address her friend.

"Su, we going the right way?"

The two were in the woods, collecting some herbs as a favor for Grover. Originally, the satyr was supposed to join them, but he suddenly had an urgent appointment to get to.

Or at least that was what Su had told her.

Still, Rhode couldn't help but find that strange. Sure, they weren't looking for anything special, so they didn't really need his help picking out the herbs they needed. Still, it was odd of Grover to just bail on them like this, at least without coming in person to apologize first.

"Yes," Su nodded happily as she was carrying a basket for the herbs and some snacks for the trip.

Su rocked like that.

"Again Rhode, thanks for accompanying me." The daughter of Demeter flashed her a sweet smile.

"No problem." Rhode shrugged as she held the bush for Su. "Though you'd think Gover would have at least come over and apologize before rushing off."

"Oh that?" Su said with a mischievous smile on his face. "Actually, I'm the one who set this trip up. I had asked him if he could come along and well he couldn't."

"But you said- You sneaky minx."

The daughter of Demeter just smirked at her cheekily.

"So besides gathering herbs," Rhode crossed her arms expectantly, "What else are we doing? Monster hunting? Are we visiting your secret garden of magical plants? Or is it a secret lab like Lee said?"

"Just spending some together." Su said in between giggling at Rhode's over the top suggestions.

"Don't we do that all the time?"

"Sure. Bu I meant _spend time together_." Su said meaningfully, though Rhode was just flummoxed.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Rhode." The Asian girl reassured, before she looked away and began mumbling under her breath.

Rhode thought she heard her friend complaining about Jack, the naiads and something about a date. She couldn't be sure though.

 _Is she unhappy about what happened when I went skating with Jack?_ Rhode pondered, confused. _I know the naiads tried to say it was a date, but I'd think Su would know better._

Honestly, she and Jack? Rhode didn't see them dating. Not with how vulnerable he currently was.

 _Still though,_ Rhode hand brushed against her lips in thought, her cheeks turning pink. _Kissing him was nice._

Su was shooting her an annoyed look though, and Rhode realized that she'd drifted off so she tuned back into the conversation.

"Well, if you're sure." Rhode replied uncertainly, shaking off her blush and deciding not to press Su for more of an explanation. She trusted her friend. It didn't really matter why she wanted to hang out. Whatever the reason, even if she didn't say, she was sure it was a good one.

"So what did we need again?" The daughter of Poseidon asked in a change of topic.

Su pulled a list out of her trusty basket and double checked, " We'll need some angelica root, ginger root, saffron leaves, and apples."

"That last one is new. They for healing?" Rhode quirked a brow.

"No, but I thought Grover might get hungry along the way and we do have some wild bushels out here."

The two shared a laugh at that, because Grover would just about eat anything.

"Still, all this plant talk is making me hungry." Rhode rubbed her stomach, "We should talk Emily into helping us make a stew. Oh, oh! It can be a summer end party!"

"L-Let's focus on the task at hand. We can think on that later." Su hastily said as she walked over a rock. Looking ahead, she pointed, "The saffron leaves are usually over in that direction."

"Why don't we have these planted closer to Camp?"

"Because the magic of the woods enhances the properties of the plant life, though it's a pain when that same magic shifts our herb garden into the depths of the forest."

Rhode looked at her surroundings sourly, "Because why not have the magical woods have a mind of its own."

"Their own." Su instinctively corrected her.

Rhode bit her cheek to stop herself from chuckling. As a child of Demeter, Su saw every individual tree as its own person and instinctively corrected anyone who thought otherwise.

 _Do I sound like this whenever I correct someone about the ocean?_ She couldn't help but ponder as they hiked deeper into the woods.

"You okay after the World Cup thing?" Rhode asked her friend. Probably not the best thing to ask off the bat to start off a conversation, but the Evans was drawing a blank.

"Yes, it was a new experience, but the training here kept me from going into a panic like all the mortals did." Su nodded firmly, "Why I even had to knock out a few panicked people just to get them to safety."

"Pressure point?" Rhode couldn't help but tease.

Su puffed up her cheeks and shuffled ahead of her, "Lee made the same exact joke! I swear, its like you share half a brain at times."

The daughter of Poseidon blanched.

"Su! Don't even joke about that, who knows what depraved things happen in that boy's mind!"

Su huffed and knelt next to a patch of saffron flowers, "Well then, you should watch your racist remarks."

"Come on," Rhode said with a smirk at the old song and dance that she and Su were acting out, as she too knelt down by the flower patch as well, "we say it because of how badass you are."

"You're absolutely correct!" Su said with a playful smile on her face.

Both girls chuckled at their little comedy routine. As they calmed down, they fell into a companionable silence as they picked the valuable plant leaves. After that, they continued around the woods for an hour, stopping every so often to pick some plants before moving on to the next patch always careful to not take too much and hurt the local area's ecosystem.

Su was thoughtful like that.

Eventually though they decided to take a break.

"So you're surprisingly well equipped to go herb hunting." Rhode noted as she snacked on one of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that Su had thoughtfully brought along.

The head counselor of Cabin Four just shrugged, as she finished taking a sip from a water bottle to wash down her own sandwich. "I was just thinking we'd like some snacks, is all." Smiling triumphantly, she gestured at the empty container that had previously held the sandwiches. "And I was right."

"Yeah, you were." The scion of the seas agreed as she finished her sandwich and snagged a water bottle that Su handed her. "Thanks for thinking ahead, Su."

"It's what I do." Su declared in a mock pompous air.

Rhode burst into giggles at that, and was soon followed by her friend.

The girls soon recovered though, and in good spirits continued their search for the herbs they needed.

As they jumped over a log, Su shyly called for Rhode's attention.

"S-So I have to ask." A noticeable blush on her face, "What type of person would you go out with?"

"Uh," Rhode wittily responded, blinking rapidly. "That came out of the blue?"

Blushing even harder, the Chinese girl nevertheless pressed ahead. "I-I'm just curious is all. Since you've started dating. It's just been on my mind, you know?"

"I haven't a clue, Su." Rhode fumbled with her answer. She honestly hadn't given dating much though.

"Oh." The daughter of Demeter said with a disappointed sigh before perking up slightly and asking. "But do you think you'd mind going out with a girl?"

Rhode's mind felt like it needed a restart after that, especially with the strangely intense look that Su was shooting her.

"Uuuh."

Before she could think of a more coherent reply, a white crane the size of a bus with purple streaks along the tips of its wings suddenly shot down out of the sky directly at the pair of them. It pulled up at the last minute, and landed with a massive flap of its wings that sent a gust racing through the trees that sent both demigoddesses stumbling back.

 _Saved by the monster._ Rhode sighed with relief. Now this was something she could handle.

"That's Gerana." The child of Poseidon pointed out, as she rolled out of the way as the immense avian used its long beak to try to skewer her. "Why is she even here?!"

"I don't know!" Su shouted back as she opened her fan and summoned her sword. Getting into a stance, she added, "If you make a single joke about cranes, I swear…"

Pulling out Spellbound, Rhode charged the monster.

However as Rhode closed to attack, Gerana flapped her wings once more and leapt into the air. She circled the land bound duo for a moment before hovering over their position - something that should be impossible for a crane - and with another mighty flap of her wings sent a barrage of her pure white feathers streaking through the air at them.

Dodging out of the way of the unusual projectiles, the sea child's eyes widened slightly as the feathers proved to be deadly missiles as they easily cut right through wood and earth alike before embedding themselves all over the area.

 _Gotta watch out for those._ Rhode noted. _But first things first, we've gotta get it out of the air._

"Come down here you anorexic chicken!" Rhode taunted it as she pointed the trident at the skyborne foe. "I'll spitroast you!"

"Can we _not_ antagonize the big bird?"

Su's warning was too late though, and Gerana screeched angrily. Flapping her wings down at them, she released another volley of her feathers.

Reacting quickly, both girls dove for cover.

Rhode flinched as they made a loud thunk against the tree she hid behind.

"Su, don't even say it." She warned her friend, who looked ready to say 'I told you so'.

The long legged bird continued to circle around like a vulture, occasionally firing off a rain of her feathers at them. This proved ineffective however as the girls were more than nimble enough to avoid getting hit and there was more than enough cover in the area for them to duck behind.

"It has to come down at some point." Rhode grumbled and was frankly starting to get bored. "Come on! We've got things to do! Either just leave or come down here and die, dumbass."

That seemed to ruffle Gerana's jimmies as the former queen dove in for a graceful landing. She immediately tried to lance Rhode with her beak, but the demigoddess used Spellbound to parry the blow. It threw off the bird's balance and it stumbled a little as it tried to recover.

"Now Su!" Rhode shouted and immediately vines and branches lashed out at the disorientated monster and entangled it.

"Honk!" The monster cried and kicked her long legs around, cutting away at her bonds. Su was relentless though, and made sure that for every vine that Gerana cut to ribbons, there were a dozen more to replace it.

Rhode beamed, "Nice one, Su!"

Su didn't reply as a thin vine fell out of her sleeve and sank into the earth. Seconds later, a massive vine burst from the ground and wrapped around the already restrained crane.

"Unforgivable! Helel! Kill it!" Su shouted instead of actually answering as she tightened her hand into a fist. At her command, the large vine began constructing the trapped bird. It was not long before an audible snap rang out in the woods.

"Whoa." Rhode said as she watched the gold dust seep through the tight cluster of vines and tree branches.

Su dusted her hands, looking angry, "Ta ma de niao!"

"What's that mean?" Rhode asked curiously. She could guess that it was a vulgarity of some kind, but the exact meaning was lost on her.

"You don't want to know." Su walked toward the pile of rapidly fading gold dust. Turning to see what caught her attention, the sea child spotted a glint on the ground. As the daughter of Demeter picked up the spoil, Rhode saw that it was a pair of fashionable white platinum bracelets with links shaped like Gerana's feathers.

Rhode let out a whistle, "Now that's some fancy spoils. You going to put them on? I think they would look nice on you."

Su smiled at that and picked them up to examine them more closely. There must have been something engraved on the inside of the bracelets, because the chlorokinetic blushed hard at what she saw there. "I-I'll save them for later."

"Alright, if you're sure. But you should let me wear one some time, we could match!" Rhode smiled broadly as they started to head out of the woods, their collected herbs and spoils in tow.

Su looked away and stammered, "M-Maybe some other time."

"Cool."

Unnoticed by either demigoddess, a single dove watched them leave the forest with a pleased gleam in its eyes.

* * *

It was the last day of summer for all campers and everyone that wasn't staying as a year-rounder had already packed their things and made their way home. Some would return, while others may not. Some of those would move on to college secure in the skills they had honed in Camp, others would die as those skills failed them. Such was the fate of a demigod.

That made Rhode incredibly nervous for Annabeth. Not for the first time, she wanted to just tell her blonde friend how much she thought her going to live with her dad over the school year was a stupid idea. Just like every other time however, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Her younger friend had made her choice, and Rhode respected her decision. Even if she disagreed.

That sentiment didn't help her anxiety one bit though as she, Luke and Annabeth stood atop Half-Blood Hill and waited for Annabeth's father.

The man had just parked his rental at the foot of Half-Blood Hill and was making his way up the hill. The daughter of Athena was a bundle of nerves, even worse than Rhode herself, at the sight. Something that was understandable, but only served to upset the witch even more.

Frowning slightly, she decided it was time to distract her friend for a bit. Maybe give her some time to calm down a little.

"So umm, you like this year's bead?" Rhode asked the blonde tentatively.

Luke shot the daughter of the sea an incredulous look at her non sequitur, but Annabeth seemed to catch Rhode's intent and offered her a grateful smile as she replied. "I think it's pretty clever. It's got plenty of embedded symbology. The three pronged arrow across a white bead, represents how many quests happened this summer."

"Yeah." Luke said, his voice tight, barely paying the conversation any attention as he glared daggers at the grown man that had finally stepped up to join them.

Franklin Chase certainly looked like a Professor. With his khakis, dress shirt, and sweater vest, he was dressed just like the stereotypical image of an academic. Though she could understand why Athena had been enchanted. Despite his nerdy appearance, he was tall and looked fairly athletic. Factoring in his sandy blond hair and intense brown eyes, he looked downright handsome.

"Annabeth." He said with a smile. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to hug her, but refrained. He looked nervous, though that might have been from the glares that Rhode and Luke were giving him.

His daughter looked both embarrassed and exasperated at the older demigods' behaviour.

"Guys, cut it out." She chided them, covering her face with her hand to hide her red cheeks.

Her father let out a laugh as he continued to smile, "I'm happy you've made such good friends. I-It certainly eases my worries."

Most likely wanting the embarrassing situation to be over with, Annabeth quickly hugged both Rhode and Luke, "Stay out of trouble you two."

The pointed look she shot Rhode as she said this made it clear just who she was aiming that particular bit of advice toward.

"Oh come on, I don't get into that much trouble." Rhode scoffed and smiled down at the girl, tousling her hair.

Pouting, Annabeth rolled her grey eyes and turned towards Thalia's pine tree. She gave it a hug, a saddened gleam in her eye. With a deep breath to compose herself, she turned around and headed towards her father, "I'm ready."

Franklin nodded and the two walked over the crest of the hill. Reaching out, Annabeth took a hold of one of her father's hands and looked up at him with a smile on her face. It was one he mirrored as they headed towards the parked car.

The moment that the car began driving away, Luke's face blanked and he turned to leave.

In contrast, Rhode stood there with her arms crossed as she leaned against Thalia watching the car disappear in the distance.

"You better make it back, Bethy. I don't want to lose my little sister." The daughter of the seas whispered under her breath worriedly.

Despite her worries however Rhode knew that letting Annabeth go had been the right thing to do. She couldn't baby the girl anymore, she had to learn to fly on her own.

"Be safe."

* * *

Platform 9 ¾ was the same as it was every time a new school year started. It was full of witches and wizards bustling about, parents were hugging their kids goodbye, and all manner of other minor family dramas that one could associate with kids heading off for boarding school for months.

Rhode did her best to ignore them, even as she nursed a tiny glimmer of hope that her father would show up to send her off like last time.

 _He's a god, he's got other things to do._ She told herself as she pulled her trunk behind her. Even as she tried to be reasonable and squash her selfish hope, it refused to die. Especially since he had requested the use of her cloak again.

"I hope we got all the stuff we need for this year." Su fretted as she walked beside her friend.

"You don't trust your dad to have gotten everything?" Lee asked with a raised brow.

The Chinese girl just shrugged. "I am. Still, there might be something he missed."

It was a genuine concern since the Hogwarts demigods hadn't gone shopping for their school supplies this year. After the World Cup fiasco, neither Su nor Lee had been up for the trip. Add in Su's duties as Head Counselor, and she were swamped. Lee on the other hand had been forced to pick up Luke's slack as his blonde brother neglected his job to be a broody mess.

With both her friends begging off, Rhode hadn't felt like going on her own either. With all the trouble in Camp with Luke and Jack, she just couldn't bring herself to go gallivanting across the pond. Not for something that she considered a hassle anyways.

"Thanks for getting everything, Mrs. Jordan." Rhode said to Lee's mom, who had picked up her supplies for her.

"It was no trouble at all, it was easy, what with the Alley being less busy than I thought it would have been." The woman replied with a smile.

"Maybe you just went on a good day?" Lee suggested.

"Who knows?" Mrs. Jordan replied with a shrug. "So how's Chiron, I see he didn't come to see you off this year. Neither is Mr. Li but I can guess that's because he's on duty today. Bad luck that he couldn't get the day off, but with what's going to be happening later this year it's no surprise. The whole Ministry is running itself ragged trying to get it off the ground."

"What are you talking about?" Su asked, with a demanding quality to her request. "Father wouldn't tell me a thing."

The woman just shot the demigods a playful smirk and shook her head. "Sorry, it's a secret. So Chiron?"

Her curiosity piqued, Rhode was tempted to press for answers but held back. It would be rude and she didn't want to offend Lee's mum.

"He's busy back at Camp. Something serious came up."

_Yeah, like keeping the Campers from trying to killing Mr. D in his sleep for what he said the other day._

"Oh. I hope everything's okay."

"It's fine, mum. Chiron has it under control." Lee reassured his worried mother.

Any further conversation was halted as a man in a high stand-collar white tunic with shoulder boards, white trousers, white shoes and a peaked cap embossed with a conch shell emblem, stepped into their path. Draped over his shoulders was an open trench coat that Rhode instantly recognized as her Invisibility Cloak. Tucked under his arm was a conch shell and there was a broadsword belted to his hip.

He was without question a god, probably someone from her dad's court. That would be the only way for him to be wearing her cloak.

"Um, hi?" Rhode greeted, unsure of which god this was.

Pulling the conch shell from under his arm, he blew into it. It released a loud bellow that made many a mortal jump and look at the train in confusion.

Rubbing out the ringing in her ears, Rhode looked at the god in confusion.

"Okay. That wasn't loud." She said, still rubbing her ears.

"Uh, mum, why don't you head off. I'll owl you later." Lee told his mother quickly, urging her to leave.

The woman glanced at the god and smiled at her son, "I think you may be right. Do well this year, Lee. Su, Rhode, have a safe trip."

"Thank you Mrs. Jordan."

After those quick goodbyes, Lee's mother made a hasty retreat thus leaving the demigods alone with the god. The other mortals fluttering around the platform all giving them a wide berth either thanks to the Mist or the god's power.

"Greetings, young heroes. I am Triton, messenger of the sea and heir to Atlantis."

 _Oh! He's my brother...didn't see this coming._ Rhode thought as she straightened up as she addressed her divine brother. "It's very nice to meet you. I didn't think Dad would give you my cloak just to come and see me."

She had hoped it would be their father, but it looked like that hope had been dashed.

"Father is a busy god, Rhode Evans." He reminded her kindly, a sympathetic gleam in his eye. He tucked his conch shell under his arm once more and fiddled with the cloak. "Besides, it would not do to have the other gods learn that he visited you again."

"I… Yeah, I get it." Rhode said, glancing to her side as she rubbed her arm.

Realizing the tense direction that the conversation was taking, Su jumped in to try to steer it into safer waters. "Lord Triton, do you blow your conch shell every time you deliver a message?"

The god of the waves nodded.

"I am my Father's herald. To announce my presence before I deliver his words with my symbol of power is only fitting."

"What's that sword then, if it's not your symbol of power?" Lee said with a gleam in his eye that he got whenever he spotted something he was tempted to steal.

"Oh this?" Triton replied with a proud smirk as he drew the sword and let the son of Hermes take a closer look. "It's the Sword of Triton! One of the most powerful swords in the seven seas."

The demigods all shot each other confused looks even as the god stared at them expectantly. Su and Lee both turned to Rhode for an explanation. Unfortunately, the daughter of Poseidon had never heard about her brother's supposedly famous sword. As such, all she could manage was a sheepish shrug.

"Really? None of you have heard of it?" The god of the navy said with a pout even as he sheathed his blade. "Even you, little sister?"

"Sorry." Rhode offered, genuinely apologetic.

"They have the same pout." Su whispered softly, though Rhode heard her easily enough.

"It's hereditary." Lee nodded in agreement.

Rhode couldn't help it, at the comparison she couldn't help but pout too.

Booming laughter brought Rhode out of her funk, and she turned to her brother to see him smiling pleasantly at her.

"It is, young son of Hermes." Triton assured with an amused smirk. "All children of Poseidon get it from our father. One of a number of things we inherit." With that he looked Rhode up and down. "Such as the black hair and eyes the color of the sea." His amusement faltered though as he shook out a leg and frowned at the limb, "Though we do still have our differences, such as these infernal legs! I do not understand how you humans tolerate these things. My tails are far better."

Rhode couldn't help herself as she giggled at her godly brother's antics. Su and Lee were a little more restrained, but even they cracked a smile.

"Oh, you find that funny do you now, little sister?" The god asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well, how about I turn the tables on you a little and see how you like being laughed at."

The demigod of Poseidon was about to quickly backtrack, fearful that she'd actually insulted her godly brother but before she could even formulate a reply, he continued.

"So I've heard some interesting things from the naiads at Camp Half-Blood. Apparently, you've got quite the busy love life."

He glanced to the side and sighed in mock shame. "To think you would end up much like Father, gaining his lustful temperament."

Rhode's face turned a crimson red, both flustered and confused by the accusation. Stomping her foot in indignation, she sputtered out a reply. "I-I-I'm not even dating anyone! Like hell I'm the same as some pervy old god!"

"If you say so." Triton hummed doubtfully, while shooting Su a meaningful glance.

"Just no horseplay, please."

The daughter of Demeter turned scarlet at his words.

Rhode blinked in confusion at this, "What are you talking about? We don't spar that roughly."

If possible, Su's face turned an even deeper red at the sheer implication of Rhode's words.

"You two are definitely siblings." Lee said with a smirk. "Not only do you look totally alike, so much so that you look like a male version of Rhode that's a few years older. Just handsome instead of beautiful."

Triton smirked proudly while Rhode blushed and Su nodded in agreement.

"But seriously, only a big brother would tease a little sister like that." Lee continued.

"Thank you for the compliment, son of Hermes. As much as I'm making the best of this chance to see my little sister at last. I'm afraid that now that I have had my share of fun at your expense, I believe I shall fulfil my duties." The god said, his face becoming serious as he did so.

Rhode felt the shift in the mood immediately and in response straightened her stance. The god noted the change and nodded as he conjured a package which he handed to his sister.

The daughter of Poseidon took the package with great care and looked at it. It was from her Father. Opening it, she saw a small gemstone. It was light blue in shade and gave off a small glow that just… resonated with her, like it was from the sea.

"It's an aquamarine." Triton explained in response to Rhode's confusion. "It doesn't have any power you can pull. Dad learned his lesson on that front. It _does_ give off a comforting aura to remind you that the sea will always with you."

"Like dad always being close by, huh?" Rhode looked at the gem with a small smile, a comforting feeling coming over her.

Triton frowned a little at that. "Yes, and the rest of the family too."

"Oh, uh, sorry." Her smile turned into an awkward one.

"It is to replace the shell that was the centerpiece to your necklace." He told her curtly, his mood now visibly upset.

She didn't openly flinch at the mention of the seashell, but the demigod did feel a twist in her heart.

"So it's just for show?"

"Yes," Triton nodded. "So that you will have something to wear at formal occasions."

Offering a thankful bow of her head, Rhode said, "I, grace, uh, graciously accept this gift."

Both Su and Lee exchanged amused looks at Rhode's attempt at being sophisticated.

"Um, yes. Very good." Triton said with a disappointed frown. "One last thing before I go though, the _family_ has a message."

Rhode failed to catch his emphasis but her friends' eyes both widened at the implication the god was making. Triton shot them both a warning look however and they both nodded. This was something that the daughter of Poseidon had to figure out on her own.

"There will be dangerous and strange people that will be visiting Hogwarts soon. You are all to stay away from them. Avoid speaking or associating with them. If you get in trouble with these people, we will not be able to intervene."

"Huh?" Rhode blurted out in confusion. What was he trying to say? The gods rarely, if ever, intervened. Sure, Thanatos saved her on her last quest but that was kinda the exception that proved the rule more than anything.

"More specifically, we _can't_ intervene."

That explained it. The gods were probably upset that they weren't being allowed to do whatever they wanted in this situation. Though it did beg a question.

"What? But why?" Rhode asked her brother, even more confused that a god would say he _can't_ do something.

"That I'm afraid is a secret. One it would be best that you not try to unravel. For all our sakes'." Triton informed her warningly.

Even as her fellow demigods exchanged worried looks, annoyance prickled inside of her but Rhode held her tongue. Or at least she tried to.

"So it's another thing the gods are just gonna dump on us with no explanation?"

"Yes." Triton informed her, clearly offended.

 _It's Paradigm all over again._ Rhode frowned, but didn't say anything. She unconsciously held her arms tightly, trying to calm down.

Triton's eyes narrowed and took on a dangerous glow. "You tread dangerous waters, sister, to compare the two situations. Both of them are sensitive matters to us gods, but here I am informing you about what you face. Something I need not do at all. Something I personally feel is too risky, but which our _Father_ insisted on. Did you even stop to consider what Olympus will do to us if they learn we told you even this much? And all you can do is think of yourself?"

Rhode flinched at that, remembering how her dad would break ancient laws or try and find loopholes just for her. She looked at her feet, feeling like a scolded child now.

Su gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, while Lee glared at the god. Rhode offered both her friends grateful looks, before turning to her brother to reply.

"I-!" Unable to come up with a fitting reply, she just nodded. Anything she would say would just make her sound more like a brat.

Triton sighed. "It's quite alright. I overreacted. Expecting a demigod to understand the politics of the gods was unfair of me."

"I'm still sorry." Rhode added as she looked her brother in the eye. "Truly."

Triton offered her a smile, before looking at the Hogwarts Express with a frown. Moments later, a warning whistle rang out across the platform signalling the train's imminent departure. "Looks like it's almost time for you to go. Do remember to keep in touch."

"Yeah, I can do that." Rhode flashed a smile at him, waving her phone. "Got ya number with that family plan and all."

"I know," Triton smiled, his good humor restored. "Though don't forget to call Mother as well. She has been looking forward to speaking to you for some time."

"I had forgotten about her," Rhode paled, looking nervous. The idea of actually talking, let alone _meeting_ her stepmother… Hera didn't exactly inspire confidence in that department and there wasn't much said about Amphitrite in history. Outside how she and Poseidon ended up getting together. So her character wasn't well-known to her.

The god's good humor vanished once more and he looked at Rhode pointedly. "It would do you well, sister, not to alienate family. You'll need our support soon enough."

"What do you mean?"

She received no reply however as with a nod in farewell, the god transformed into a breeze and blew away. Leaving in his wake nothing but the scent of sea salt.

"Okay, that was really cool, but also kind of aggravating… He's my brother alright."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Whoo, that was a fun chapter! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> We got dark, we got light, take your grim and fluff on one plate in this chapter guys. Nameless, you start off.
> 
> Nameless: So there's more bog standard fluff and adventure this chapter, with less of the serious stuff. Hope you guys like it. Just a heads up though, the serious stuff isn't not going away. Not entirely. We like it as it adds depth to the story. We do however acknowledge we need to find a better balance with it and the more traditional stuff. Right now, we're still working on that. We write chapters way in advance of what we post, and unless it's a major thing we don't go back and change whole swathes of it just because of reviews. We take the constructive criticism and apply it to later chapters, that have not been written yet. Even then, we need time to work it into the story by changing our style, tweaking our plots, etc. So you'll need to wait a while to see your critiques implemented. For example, we made Jack a tragic figure because we like it as a way to create character depth but we also know that you readers don't like angst/grimdark/whatever you want to call it, so we're trying to balance it out and use it as a way to generate the fluff we know you guys love. So yeah bear with us, it's a work in progress.
> 
> So yeah, we know we might have gone pretty far with Andi, so this time we gotta find the right formula, which i think we're going pretty decent thus far with Rhode. We all know Jack, fans of him anyway, but this Jack and that Jack aren't the same. So we needed to give him depth like his counterpart had. Just in a far more serious sense. And I think it's going to be gloriously delish.
> 
> Nameless: Yup, and in a way that was thematically appropriate to the PJOverse. And with Khione as his mum? His backstory just wrote itself.
> 
> It's as if he's his own Greek Tragedy. And now to the fluff. Aphrodite, girl, make up your mind? Does Rhode bat left or right? Maybe Triton is right, Rhode does take after her daddy with all the hearts she strings along. Unconsciously of course. Hope you guys enjoy the 'dates' as they were fun to write for me as always. Now *Overly Dramatic German Accent* let the shipping wars begin!
> 
> Nameless: Yup, Aphrodite is gonna have so much fun with Rhode. Hell, even Hera is getting in on it. Don't get what I mean? Go google Gerana and you'll see. Kudos to you if you can then draw a conclusion as to why the spoil for defeating her were a pair of bracelets.
> 
> And what was Triton talking about? You'll see in the next chapter where we get a flaming cup coming up.
> 
> Nameless: Another thing about what Triton was saying. He called Rhode his sister a lot, didn't he? Well, that's deliberate on his part. Basically, he was trying hard to tell Rhode that both he and his mum see her as part of the family. Unfortunately, Rhode didn't really get it.
> 
> Think of it like this, Percy is Poseidon's fav boy. Thus, Triton does not like him as he is Poseidon's heir. So he feels threatened. Rhode is his daughter, not in line to take any throne or status from him, thus not a threat. So his mindset shifts to family. He's got sisters, but we all know what they're like. One's faded and the other one just makes violent storms. And yes he has many, many nymph sisters, but let's not get into Poseidon's belt notches. Too weird.
> 
> Nameless: That and Amphitrite isn't threatened by Rhode either. Triton follows his mum's lead a lot. It's the sense of threat that Percy represented, that explained for me at least why Amphitrite and Triton were so cold to Percy in The Last Olympian but so nice in Greek Gods. In the latter, Poseidon was giving time to Percy during a decisive battle, that's a sign of serious favoritism. Seeing that, of course they felt threatened. But afterwards, when Percy rejects godhood (and thus at least demonstrates that he has no intent to be a part of the race to be Poseidon's successor), they can thus rest easy and be nicer to him. Taking this into account, Rhode being a girl means she's not a threat, since traditionally Greek kingdoms inherited by primogeniture.
> 
> Alright, you guys know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace out my peeps!


	6. The Sippy Cup of Shallowness

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Six: The Sippy Cup of Shallowness**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

The Hogwarts Express steamed its way through Scotland. Rhode barely paid the passing rural landscape she glimpsed through the occasional look out the window any mind. She spent most of her time sketching on her pad, though her heart wasn't into it either. Instead, most of her attention was centred on reflecting on the meeting with her divine brother.

It had gone completely different than what she had expected. Rhode had been expecting some bad blood, or prickly responses, something along those lines. The daughter of Poseidon was not expecting such… a kind reception from Triton. It was both surprising and almost pleasing.

Su as always, sat right next to her, her nose buried in a book. She occasionally peeked at her artwork, smiling ever so often. It was a peaceful ride as they basked in the quiet save for the chatter from outside the compartment.

"So~!" Lee spoke up, apparently bored of the silence. Considering he'd managed a whole half hour, that might have been a new personal record for him. "Any clue on who the new DADA Prof is gonna be?"

"So long as it isn't a monster I don't really care." Rhode shrugged.

Su shot her a reproving look, though why Rhode wasn't sure. Because she wasn't paying due concern for her education? Or for disrespecting Lupin's memory? Or both and more? Whatever the case Rhode felt an urge to apologize, but fought it down. She didn't do anything wrong after all.

Shaking her head and huffing in annoyance at Rhode's disregard for her reprimand, Su turned to Lee. "Father told me about it. It's a Ministry appointee this year, a newly retired Auror."

"Lame." Lee groaned, slumping in his seat, "What? Dumbledore couldn't find anyone?"

"No he couldn't." Su nodded. "Though I heard he was gunning for Mad Eye Moody, but sadly he died before the summer ended."

"Yeah, the old man went off with a bang though didn't he?" Lee said with a smirk.

"Who are we talking about?"

"Alastor Moody." Su explained. "He's a legendary ex-Auror. He died last month when one of his wards accidentally went off."

"Explosively!" Lee added with a envious smirk. "They say the explosion was seen kilometres away."

"Never heard of him."

Su gave her a bemused look, "I figured as much, you don't care much about the big names in the wizarding world. Still, he was a great wizard. Just suffering from paranoid personality disorder."

"I guess you could say, you and he had a lot in common on that front." Lee pointedly teased Rhode.

"I'm not paranoid. I'm healthily cautious."

"To the point of paranoia."

Rhode pouted at this, which just made the older boy snicker.

Su giggled as well, her hand patting the taller brunette on the shoulder.

"There there. It makes you, you Rhode. We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Whatever!" Rhode said in a huff. "This isn't about me, it's about the new DADA Prof. So any idea if he's good?"

"Father vouches for him." Su said with a shrug. "I've never met him myself so I wouldn't know."

"Well, hopefully he's good at teaching. That's all that really matters."

"We haven't had the best track record, have we?" Lee stroked his chin, glancing at Rhode.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Oh. No reason."

Su covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, no doubt agreeing with whatever Lee was suggesting.

Rhode playfully shoved her friend, who sported a look of mock surprise in response before returning the favor. Soon the two teenagers were playfully pushing each other and giggling like a pair of little girls.

Lee raised a brow at their antics and shook his head, "Geez, you two are so close you're practically sisters by this point."

Su shot the young man a glare at the comparison.

The daughter of Poseidon was only dimly aware of that however as she pondered on Lee's observation.

 _Sisters?_ Rhode sucked in a breath at this. _Isn't that what Thalia and I were like? Am I replacing her by getting this close to Su?_

"See what you've done." Su scolded Lee, even as she turned to take hold of Rhode's hands. "Rhode, it's okay. I'm sure Thalia would be happy that you've found someone you can trust like you trusted her."

Startled that her Chinese friend had figured out what she'd been thinking, the sea child gasped.

"And no I'm not reading your mind." Su added, with an amused smile. "I just know you well enough to guess what you're thinking."

"But Thalia-"

"Would be over the moon that you've found another best friend." Su said with a wistful look.

Rhode found it odd that her friend would sport a look like that but she was too preoccupied to give it any thought.

"You're right." The daughter of the sea god affirmed. "I can have more than one best friend and Thalia would be happy that I've found another one."

"Damn right, she would." Lee chimed in, shooting Rhode a reassuring look.

Rhode offered her two friends a thankful smile and nodded, affirming in her mind the conviction that Thalia would approve of what she had grown into.

* * *

Rhode, under her invisibility cloak, silently headed towards the Room of Requirement for an emergency meeting.

"Can you slow down?" Lee whispered as he was under the cloak as well, but wasn't able to match her pace well.

"No!" Rhode hissed back, irritably. Couldn't the son of Hermes see how Triton's warning was coming true? Didn't he realize how important it was that they discuss how they needed to deal with this new problem?

Just thinking about the problem made Rhode want to smash some heads, preferably those of the idiot wizards who came up with the stupid Triwizard Tournament. Apparently Dumbledore and the Ministry had the bright idea to host some silly event to promote international cooperation or some such nonsense. Rhode found the whole thing a total waste of time and thought it was little more than Hogwarts and the other schools trying to get the chance to show off.

Of course she was vocal about her opinion and many a student was disgusted with her lack of school pride and told her their opinion in kind.

The daughter of Poseidon merely brushed them off.

Anyways, if the Tournament was all that she had to worry about, Rhode wouldn't be in such a panic. Unfortunately, that was only the catalyst, as it were, for her cause of concern.

That source of worry had instead come with the visiting schools. Rhode had been out with the rest of the school waiting for them to arrive, at Su's insistence, earlier this afternoon when her danger senses started niggling at her mind. It had first started up when the French school, Beauxbatons, flew down from the sky in a gigantic blue -blech- carriage pulled by some of the largest pegasi she had ever seen. The sense that something was wrong only grew more intense as the other school, Durmstrang, arrived in the middle of the lake in a large ship that seemed to be able to act as a submarine.

Already on edge, Rhode watched the delegations from the two visiting schools like a hawk trying to pinpoint the sources of her unease. She ignored the wannabe models from the French school and the oh-so-tough Durmstrang boys.

No, what had her undivided attention were a strange twentysomething couple that oddly enough came separately. The woman having accompanied Durmstrang while the man came with Beauxbatons.

They were oddly dressed for wizards, they wore regular, but fashionable, mundane suits like they were at Hogwarts for a business meeting. As if that and the way they tingled her danger sense wasn't odd enough they were introduced as a married couple as part of Dumbledore's introductions while leaving out any explanations whatsoever as to why they were at Hogwarts.

They set off all kinds of alarm bells for Rhode. They were dangerous, every instinct she had called out to her on that front.

Before everyone had headed for the dorms for the night, Rhode had called for a demigod meeting.

"Su, you here?" Rhode called out impatiently as she slammed the door open.

"Just getting the tea and snacks ready." The daughter of Demeter replied as she laid out the aforementioned refreshments on the coffee table that was the centre of the room.

"Forget about that!" The demigod of Poseidon cried out. "Sit down! We need to talk."

Su raised a eyebrow but nevertheless complied and took a seat.

"Seriously Rhode, what's the rush?" Lee asked as he slipped into the room.

"Ugh, did both of you not feel it? Those people that came with the other schools? Those were the people Triton warned us about."

"You sure?" Lee asked sounding skeptical. "They don't look that dangerous. I mean outside of dressing like muggles, there's nothing that strange about them."

"I've got to agree with Lee here." Su said while frowning at Lee. "There's nothing strange about them."

"Except how beautiful that Audrey woman is. That shoulder length ginger hair, green eyes and that figure to die for? Absolutely gorgeous." Lee chimed in dreamily. "I wonder how such a plain guy like that Banagher dude could snag a girl like her."

"To be fair, he's not that bad looking." Still frowning, Su shot back. "A lot of my housemates swooned over those brown hair and eyes of his. Plus his clearly toned physique didn't help."

"Stop!" Rhode growled out in frustration, even as she unconsciously directed a heated glare at Su. "Who cares how they look! They're trouble. Trust me, I have a sixth sense for this."

Rhode was sure she was right.

"Didn't you see how everyone from the visiting schools are terrified of them and were keeping a distance from them?"

"So?" Lee asked, unconvinced. "It's obvious why isn't it? They're muggles, you know how wizards are when dealing with them."

"They're overseers from the muggle governments." Su explained. "Sent here to keep an eye on the Tournament. Father explained it to me. Apparently, the wizarding Ministries outside of Britain almost entirely got taken over by the muggles after World War Two. The wizards don't like being controlled though but are too terrified of the muggles to do anything."

"See that explains why the other schools are scared of them. They're afraid of them tattling on them to the muggle governments and getting them in trouble." Lee reasoned.

"And the strange feeling we get when we're near them?" Rhode demanded. "Don't tell me you guys don't feel it? Especially around the guy?"

Lee and Su exchanged a look, before the Chinese girl grimaced. Rhode couldn't read minds, but she bet they were trying to come up with another set of excuses to ignore the obvious danger signs. She didn't know why they were doing it, but she was sure they were doing this on purpose.

"We felt it too." Lee confirmed and Su nodded. "But that just means they're not ordinary muggles, right? And it makes total sense that they aren't. I mean you wouldn't send just any old normal agent to oversee a school of wizards, would you? It doesn't mean though that they're a threat, like you seem to believe."

Rhode shook her head, unconvinced, "There's something off about them."

Su scooted a little closer to Rhode, worry written on her face, "I think you're taking this too far, Rhode. Not everyone is out to get us."

"What about Triton's warning? Have both of you forgotten about it?" Rhode demanded. "He warns us to stay away from someone and suddenly these mysterious people show up? Do you think it's a coincidence?"

Lee and Su exchange a look, before the Chinese girl grimaced. "Rhode, we've actually already thought of that. It's precisely because of what Lord Triton told us, that Lee and I think it's best not to be too paranoid about the Burnes' - Lee that's their name right?"

"Yeah, Audrey and Banagher Burnes-Links"

"Right. Long name. Anyways, as I was saying," Su continued soothingly. "Rhode you have a tendency to try to solve every mystery that you come across. And that's a good thing, most of the time. It's what makes you such a good hero. But this time, considering Lord Triton's warning, maybe it's best to forget about this one?"

"But what if they're a threat?"

" _You have my assurance that unless provoked, they will not be a threat to anyone at Hogwarts."_ Chiron's voice abruptly cut into the conversation as a rainbow shimmer appeared over the table.

All the demigods jumped, but calmed down after seeing the image of Chiron hovering in front of them within a rainbow.

"Gods, now I know how you feel when we I.M. you." Rhode said, after taking a moment to calm down.

The centaur smiled at that for a brief moment, but he wiped it away almost immediately as he grew serious once more.

" _Rhode, Lee, Su, I must implore you to leave Mister and Misses Burnes-Links alone. In fact, I'd strongly advise you avoid them as much as possible."_

"So they _are_ dangerous?"

" _Most certainly, but only to their enemies."_

Rhode looked at Su and Lee with a triumphant grin.

"Never said they weren't dangerous." Lee shrugged. "Just that they didn't seem like a threat and we should leave them alone."

" _A wise choice."_

"We just didn't want you to get caught up in trying to figure them out and get into trouble because of it in spite of Lord Triton's warning." Su said with a sigh.

"Oh." Rhode's face flushed at that.

" _Rhode, do you understand now? That you must stay away from them?"_

"Yeah, I understand. Stay away from the married couple." The daughter of Poseidon crossed her arms and nodded.

"And crisis averted." Lee whistled in relief.

"I'm not that bad."

"Yes you are!" All three other people in the conversation, even Chiron, said at the same time.

The daughter of the seas could only pout at this.

It wasn't as if she went looking for trouble! It just sorta came to her.

* * *

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Almost everyone in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, were eager to hear who had been selected as champions.

Rhode honestly just wanted things to be over so she could go to bed. She'd had an especially tiring training session earlier in the day and really wanted to get some rest.

As the meal ended and the food was cleared, there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Durmstrang's Headmaster Karkaroff and Madame Maxime from Beauxbatons looked as tense and expectant as anyone. The Ministry representatives in contrast were a lot more relaxed. Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

 _Looks like the ball is finally getting rolling on this farce._ Rhode noted as she stifled a yawn.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semi darkness. The Goblet of Fire - the flaming cup which had previously been under Dumbledore's magical protections to weed out underage entrants and which required would be champions to put their names into its fiery depths - now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes.

"This is ridiculous." Rhode hissed to Lee. "Do they really have to make things so overly dramatic?"

"It is a pretty big deal for them." Lee replied with a shrug.

"It's still a waste of effort. I mean look at the government suits. They're as unimpressed as I am." Rhode insisted, gesturing to the aforementioned couple who were looking on in professional disinterest.

"Guess they've seen better too?"

Any further conversation was halted as the flames inside the goblet suddenly turned red and sparks began to fly from it. This captured the attention of the whole hall as it seemed to take a collective breath in anticipation. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron from further down the table as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Rhode saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore and walk along the staff table before disappearing through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

"Lucky her." Rhode said dryly as the silvery blonde girl swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. She looked again at the Ravenclaw table and groaned, "Are they seriously crying? What is this, American Idol? Don't they know that this Tournament puts its participants in mortal danger?"

The remainder of the Beauxbatons party all looked as though someone had kicked their puppy. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.

"People do stupid things to be famous." Lee offered, barely containing his own disgust. As demigods they both knew full well that behaving like that could get you killed. Not that it had stopped Lee himself, but at least he understood the real risks involved.

"Those girly girls would get their asses handed to them in this Tournament." Rhode snorted derisively. "Heck, I'm pretty sure their prissy Champion ain't gonna cut it either. Ten drachma says she tries to quit after just the First Task."

"You're on." Lee said with a smarmy smile.

The two shook on their bet even as Fleur Delacour vanished into the side chamber. Silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion was next.

Rhode glanced at Lee and dryly said, "Five Drachma says I'm the Hogwarts champion."

Lee quirked a brow, "No way. You didn't even put your name in. I know, I tried putting it in for you with the twins."

"I _know_ I didn't. The Fates just don't seem to like me is all."

The son of Hermes grinned, "Heh, not even you have that much terrible luck. Deal."

They shook on it and placed the drachma on the table.

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table exploded into celebration at that declaration. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Ha!" Lee laughed and collected the golden coins, "Easiest drachma ever."

Rhode just pouted, even as a bad feeling started building in her gut. One not helped at all by the way that the suits were suddenly glaring daggers at the goblet.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real -"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out -

"Rhode Evans."

"Oh come on!" Rhode threw her arms in the air and glared at the starry ceiling.

* * *

What did she ever do to the Fates besides being born?

Oh yeah, her dad broke an oath made on River Styx.

Rhode was going to send him a nasty text message before bed, that was for sure.

Stupid oath breaking dad who can't keep it in his pants!

There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Rhode as she continued to glare daggers and hoped the fates were seeing it.

Up at the teachers' table, McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly.

"You have the worst luck." Lee told Rhode as he patted her comfortingly on the back.

"I know." The daughter of Poseidon growled and stood up, but not before glaring at Lee's clinking pockets.

"I'll, uh, give 'em to you later." He laughed awkwardly.

After taking a calming breath, Rhode began walking towards the teachers' table, the buzzing growing louder and louder with each step. After what seemed like an hour, she was right in front of Dumbledore, feeling the stares of all the teachers upon her.

"I didn't do it!" Rhode shouted to the Hall.

"That will be enough Miss Evans." McGonagall said as she came over, a worried gleam in her eyes even as her face was set in a professional mask.

Rhode ignored her and called out again. "I didn't put my name into that dumb cup!"

"I said enough Miss Evans." McGonagall said pushing her way into Rhode's personal space and getting her attention. In a whisper, she continued. "I believe you, but _now_ is not the time to make a scene."

Rhode was flabbergasted at this. Her Hogwarts Professors being on her side when she got caught up in an incident? Besides Snape, she didn't think any of them would do so. Speaking of the Head of Slytherin, the man was now eying his House with a calculating and suspicious eye, occasionally shooting a look at Karkaroff.

_Probably trying to figure out which of his snakes put my name in the cup. I wonder why he thinks Karkaroff has something to do with this though._

"Well...through the door, Miss Evans," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling, in fact he looked downright disturbed. In a softer voice, he added. "We'll figure out who did this later. I promise you that."

Rhode balled her fists and stormed towards the door. Dumbledore could take his promise and toss it. She didn't trust the old foggy at all. If she wanted to figure out who had set this up, she'd have to do it herself.

Through the door, she found herself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A warm fire was roaring in the fireplace on the opposite end. She glanced at it and offered a small prayer to her Aunt Hestia. Frankly, it was a way to calm her down since she could _feel_ her anger rising over this situation.

The faces in the portraits turned to look at her as she entered. She saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus mustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear.

Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire. Rhode could see they looked rigid and tense, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched-up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece, slightly apart from the other two. Cedric was standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the fire. Fleur Delacour looked around when Rhode walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

"What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

She thought she had come to deliver a message.

"I wish." Rhode shot back, irritated at the whole thing.

There was a sound of scurrying feet behind her, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Rhode by the arm and tried to lead her forward. She promptly kicked him in the shin and pulled away.

"Don't touch me." She hissed at the handy man warningly.

"Ow! I mean, extraordinary!" he muttered, rubbing his injured shin. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen...lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth Triwizard champion?"

Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Rhode. Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Rhode and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said. Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Again, I wish!"

Bagman shot Rhode a reproving look, before enthusiastically answering the French girl's question. "I assure you Miss Delacour that this is not the case. Rhode, here-"

Rhode scowled at him and eyed his shin threateningly.

The man caught the look and without missing a beat amended his term of address. "I mean, Miss Evans, here is most definitely the fourth Champion."

Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Cedric was still looking politely bewildered. Delacour frowned.

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "Zhe cannot compete. Zhe is too young."

"Well...it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Rhode in a way that made her skin crawl. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as her name's come out of the goblet...I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage...It's down in the rules, you're obliged...Rhode will just have to do the best she -"

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and the Burne-Links'. Rhode could heard the yammering of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" said Delacour at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little girl is to compete also!"

Rhode felt one of the last buttons she had over this entire mess be hit and hit hard.

"I'm sorry? Want to run that by me again French maid Barbie? Because I'll show you how 'zis little girl' will knock you flat out."

Delacour bristled at that and turned to glare at Rhode who returned the favor.

Ignoring the byplay, Madame Maxime had drew herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions - or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

He gave a short and nasty laugh.

"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Delacour's shoulder. "'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."

"Trust me, I want to know too." The daughter of Poseidon said as she continued to glare Delacour down. She grinned when the girl finally turned away with a distasteful 'hmph'.

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, referring to the magical protection Dumbledore had set up around the goblet to keep out underage participants. His steely smile was still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"Don't be a fool, Karkaroff, Maxime" said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for what is clearly some kind of plot. Though to what ends-"

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, as Snape trailed off contemplatively.

"So someone wants to kill me again? Fourth year in a row, Dumbledore."

"Boastful little brat, isn't she?" Karkaroff scoffed. "Obviously this is an attack on the Tournament itself. One designed to undermine its credibility by having an unprepared, underaged participant involved that'll only get herself killed, thereby tarnishing its good name and that of our schools."

"Oh shut up! I'm way more impressive than you." Rhode sneered at the man. "Besides, like I want to be part of this grudge match between some schools."

"I see Hogwarts lacks discipline." Karkaroff said as he glared down at Rhode as imposingly as he could.

It did nothing as she matched the look with ease, ready to strike if he even dared to do something.

"Miss Evans," Snape called out to her firmly but kindly. "Please calm down. I understand that you are upset."

Rhode snorted at that. Being upset was putting it mildly.

"But you need to let us take time to investigate what's going on."

"Fine." Rhode agreed, her arms crossed in frustration. "But I don't have to like it."

"No." Crouch agreed, in a steely voice that brooked no argument. "But you are _required_ by the magical contract imposed by the Goblet to compete."

"And if I don't?"

Everyone shifted uncomfortably at that, all except Crouch. "Then you risk your magic and by extension life being taken from you as compensation for breach of contract?"

"Life!?"

"Yes," Snape cut in before Crouch could continue. "Unfortunately, a witch or wizard is deeply tied to his or her magic. If it's lost, for whatever reason, it very often leads to the rapid decline in their health."

"And sanity." Crouch added.

"That too." Snape said while shooting the older man a dark look, before turning back to Rhode with comforting eyes set in a blank face. "So the loss of magic is often fatal."

"...What kind of asinine show are you people running?!" Rhode ran her hands through her hair, she was reaching her breaking point. "What if some competitor is injured and can't continue? They just have to continue?"

"Of course, there is a release clause for injury." Bagman scoffed. "We aren't idiots."

"How injured?" Rhode asked with a serious look on her face.

"Don't even think about it, Miss Evans." Dumbledore told her. "The contract will judge intent as well. If you deliberately attempt to get yourself injured to get out of the Tournament then you'll be found in breach."

"Stupid magic paper." Rhode grumbled under her breath, "Then one of you do it. I'll take a week in the Hospital Wing compared to this."

"Asking others to hurt you for that purpose still counts as a deliberate attempt to escape the Tournament." Crouch informed her, a dismissive look in his eyes. "Did you really think a magical contract would be fooled that easily? To be a scion of an Ancient and Noble House and yet so ignorant. You should be ashamed."

Rhode felt the need to smack her face into a wall. Or maybe just punch Crouch in the face.

Instead, she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Fine. Fine! What do I have to do?"

"Compete!" Bagman told her cheerfully.

"Thanks." She dryly replied. Rhode looked towards Dumbledore, "And as to _how_ my name came out of the cup?"

"We will be investigating that forthwith." Crouch grunted.

"I'll look into it personally." Dumbledore assured her, before addressing all the Champions. "Now it's getting late. Champions, I think it best that you retire for the night."

* * *

At that, Delacour and Krum filed out with their Headmasters. Sprout, who had apparently been waiting outside the room, escorted Cedric. McGonagall had a brief staring contest with Snape before sighing and let the man escort Rhode to her dorm, while she joined Dumbledore, the two Ministry men and the suits in a quiet huddle.

_Probably discussing what's going on._

As the two walked down the empty corridors, Rhode let out a snarl.

"Ugh, that prissy little-! And that fur capped asshat!" The demigod couldn't contain her rage over the whole situation and smacked her fist against the wall. A spider crack formed from the force she used.

"The other Champions are not who you need to be wary of here, Evans." Snape told her. "Though it is smart of you to see Karkaroff as a threat."

"Something I should know about him?"

"He's a ex-Death Eater." Snape revealed. "A bit of a coward, but nevertheless a dangerous foe. Cunning and skilled in a fight."

"Tch, so he's another Pettigrew, but managed to get away with being a traitor. If he tries something with me, he'll be missing a few limbs."

"You really should not be so dismissive." Snape said sternly. "Do not forget that a single spell can kill. And I assure you that Karkaroff is more than capable of casting the Killing Curse."

"I know what the Killing Curse is." Rhode said curtly. "Quirrell tried it on me. Don't be alone. Stick to a crowd. And make sure I'm near a professor if I'm in the same room as him."

"And can you honestly say that you will follow those precautions?" Snape asked her, shooting her a knowing look.

Rhode had the decency to flush and turn away.

"Good, at least you know your flaws. I have something to work with after all."

Rhode turned back and blinked in confusion.

"I'm offering to train you of course. You need to learn how to defend yourself against wizards. We might not be as ferocious as a creature but we can be just as if not more dangerous in certain situations. It won't fool whoever set this trap for you, but we'll need a reason to appease the sheep, so we can just say it's me training you for the Tournament."

"Wait, isn't that like cheating or something?" She asked, because she figured the Champions had to do this on their own.

The man cracked a small smile at this, "Evans, Headmasters aiding their Champions from the shadows is one of the biggest pastimes of the Tri-Wizard."

"Because who needs fair play?" Rhode couldn't help but grumble at that. When it came to competitions at Camp, while some people would try and cheat every now and then, demigods respected the rules of the game most of the time.

Snape just shook his head at her. "You really know nothing do you? This is an inter- _school_ competition, Evans. The Champions represent the schools, yes, but ultimately it is the schools competing. There is nothing unfair for the schools to do everything within their power to assist their Champions."

"And everyone wants to be the winner, right?"

"Precisely."

Rhode sighed and leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.

"So how do we want to set up our meetings?"

"I'll check our schedules and get back to you."

"We don't even have to pretend to be covert, do we?"

"Why would we?" Snape asked, genuinely confused. "You're an underage Champion. If the school didn't offer you special help to prepare for the Tournament, we'd look negligent."

"The lack of security already showed that." The brunette sourly pointed out. "We should have had a ghost at least looking over it."

Snape nodded. "Let's not make it worse. Dumbledore will be busy enough as is. Between the Tournament and now this investigation, the man will be working himself to the bone."

"Poor him." She said, without a ounce of pity for the old fool.

Snape did not comment on her attitude towards the Headmaster. He was smart enough to know what a landmine that was. Instead, the two continued the trip to Gryffindor Tower in companionable silence.

They were just in front of the Fat Lady when Snape turned to her.

"Evans, please take this seriously." The man said, his face displaying genuine concern.

"If my life is in danger, I will. I _always_ do." She said, looking him in the eye, "Anything that threatens it I'll tear down."

"And you'll do it by putting yourself in unnecessary danger."

"Wha-" The child of Poseidon tried to ask, but he cut her off.

"You rush into dangerous situations all the time without ever even thinking of asking for help from adults."

Rhode thought on his words with a sigh and looked up.

"I guess my hero-complex is really strong."

"And I beg you to keep it in check." Snape said earnestly. "Lily would never forgive me if something happened to you."

Ignoring his mention of her mother, she returned his gaze and smiled sadly, "I'd promise, but that would mean I'd be lying to one of the few Professors that I actually like. It's second nature to me now."

Heroics were what she was born for, doing great deeds and conquering obstacles was what demigods were destined for. Or to die trying, that was the fact of their life.

"I know." Snape with a sigh. "Which is why I ask you to take my training seriously. It will better prepare you for when that mental hiccup of yours acts up."

"If it helps, when it comes to training, I'm two hundred percent focused."

"So you say." Snape said with the arrogant smirk he usually wore. Obviously, their heartfelt conversation was over and he was back to wearing his poker face. "I'll see how you perform before making any judgements. Now go to bed, I've got better things to do than babysit you."

Without waiting for a response, the man swept down the stairs of the Tower.

"Heh, nice guy." Rhode said as she turned to face the Portrait of the Fat Lady.

* * *

Lee could only feel his jaw grow slack at the banners and streamers being strung up all around the Common Room as his house celebrated Rhode's selection as a Tri-Wizard Champion. Someone had even dragged out an older Gryffindor banner and was planning to drape it over their Champion's shoulders like a cape.

 _Rhode's going to go She-Hulk on us. Oh gods, we're dead. D. E. A. D. Dead!_ Lee thought in horror as no doubt Rhode would erupt, if she hadn't already, on the rest of their house if he didn't do something.

He looked towards his best friends, the Weasley twins, "Are you insane?"

"Lee, whatcha mean? Rhode did what we couldn't! Besides, I favor her chances of winning more than Cedric. Girl's a little monster." Fred grinned as he tilted his party hat to the side.

"Yeah! We're already starting a bettin' pool! You want in? You usually handle this stuff."

"Of course I will." Lee said unconsciously, but as his brain caught up with his mouth, he shook his head, "That's not the point you twits! We have to get all this down or she'll snap us all in half. And I'm part of us!"

Lee was just contemplating the need to resort to drastic measures and knock the whole house out when the portal to the dorms opened. Immediately, the common room exploded in a single massive cheer. Before he could do anything, dozens of hands reached out and wrenched Rhode inside.

At the same time, the temperature in the room quickly began to drop. Not that his idiot housemates seemed to notice.

 _Where's Su!? I need her to be my shield!_ Lee whimpered. The daughter of Demeter, outside Chase and Jack, was one of the few that could quell the walking tsunami that was Rhode's Fatal Flaw of Wrath.

Maybe if he jumped out the window! He would only break his legs, probably, but he could escape!

Then Rhode would murder everyone… damn him being too heroic for his own good!

 _No. As much as I hate to admit it, this time it's up to me._ Lee realized grimly even as he roughly pushed through the throng of maddened fellow Gryffindors to grab Rhode.

"Come on," Lee urged as he pulled the girl from the clutches of the House Quidditch Team. "We need to talk."

_Please don't break my arm. Please don't break my arm. By the gods don't break my arm!_

Thankfully, Rhode seemed to appreciate the assist enough to spare him any injury.

Another plus one for Lee Jordan.

Pulling her up the stairs to his dorm, he couldn't help the brief burst of irritation at the unfairness of restricting guys from getting into the girl's dorms but not the other way around, before pushing her lightly onto his bed. The burst of annoyance ironically helping him to keep his cool a little, something that he was grateful for.

"Rhode, you okay?" He said while trying his best to sound like he wasn't freaking the hell out at the prospect of becoming an ice sculpture. Something not helped by the way that the thought inevitably brought to mind the memory of what happened to Jack's dad.

"When I find out who put me in this competition Lee, they won't find the body."

"I know." He said as soothingly as possible, mentally hoping she wouldn't ask for his help in the matter. Skeletons were annoying to keep in a closet, it was why he tried to have as few as possible. "But can you _please_ keep your murder boner in your pants?"

Rhode glared at him, "Don't tell me how to deal with my murder boner."

"I tell you what, why don't you just take a sip of calming draught and go to bed?" Lee offered hopefully. "We can talk about this tomorrow when you're not about to go murderous Ice Queen on us."

"I am perfectly calm." She said in a low and chilling tone.

No, she was a few seconds away from going nuclear winter on Hogwarts. Taking a deep breath, he told her just that. "Ha ha, pull the other one. Take a look around you. You think having mist and snow indoors is normal? Because, for the safety of everyone in the castle, it's my duty as a hero to either make you do what I just said or stun you."

Lee was pleased to see her take a few calming breathes and for a moment, she didn't look as angry. Just upset, though still murderous.

"They're celebrating. I'm probably going to be stabbed, zapped, or even eaten alive -Which is _not_ fun- and all they can do is shake my hand and smile? A bunch of two-faced, assholes that can just-!"

The son of Hermes suppressed a sigh of relief as the volatile child of the seas began ranting. If she could vent her anger verbally, then she was unlikely to have to resort to violence. Hopefully.

"Do any of these idiots remember the last time something like this happened? We've had Dementors storm the school, had a psycho for a teacher, another was a mind wiper, and let's not forget the serpent king that was living in our toilet water!"

Lee shut down the urge to remind Rhode that none of their Housemates knew about the extent of their yearly troubles. He had to agree with her though that getting caught up in life or death situations every year while at _school_ had not been fun.

Once again, he chalked it up to her luck. It was just terrible for her. She and Su started out at Hogwarts the same year, but it was always Rhode that bore the brunt of the misfortunes that Hogwarts had for them.

He still remembered her coming back after fighting Scorpio of all things. He and Su had gotten weak in their knees just from hearing that their friend had been alone for that. He couldn't imagine actually being in her shoes.

Maybe that's just how it was for a child of the Big Three? The biggest problems came their way and they either thrive or die.

Even as he understood all that and empathized with Rhode's feelings, Lee still had his duty as a hero right now.

"Ok, I get it." Lee said as calmly as possible. "You have plenty reasons to be angry. But unless you want to kill someone with your frost, you need to calm down now."

"A little colder and people will start getting frostbite, if they haven't already." Gesturing to the frozen jug of water on the table beside Fred's bed, he continued. "How long before people start dropping from hypothermia?"

Rhode actually flinched at that.

Not waiting for her to respond, he pressed his advantage. "Drink the calming draught, and go to sleep Rhode. Before your anger really kills an innocent."

Lee felt terrible pulling that card. Especially since he knew it definitely would lead to Rhode remembering the terrible Seashell Incident, but it was the honest truth and he needed her to see it.

She couldn't even speak and merely nodded her head.

_Dad, thank you for the silver tongue._

Watching like a hawk, Lee observed his friend almost meekly - something rather uncharacteristic for her - down the vial of potion he gave her.

"Come on. I'll escort you to the bottom of your stairs."

Rhode just nodded, still subdued.

 _She looks terrible like this. It's totally at odds to how she usually looks._ Lee noted even as he guided her out of his dorm and towards her own, brandishing his wand to scare off the few idiots who tried to get in their way. _I really hope it's just the potion and not what I said._

As he watched Rhode climb the stairs to her dorm, Lee finally let out a sigh of relief.

 _Crisis averted. Gotta remember to meet up with Su and come up with contingencies to prevent this from happening again._ Wincing at all the the things he'd said to Rhode tonight. _I don't want to have to do this again. Hopefully, Su has better ideas._

Sure that Rhode had reached her dorm and plagued with guilt over what he'd done, the son of Hermes headed to bed.

* * *

"You okay Rhode? You're a little quiet," Su asked, sounding concerned.

"Mm," She nodded as she rubbed her eyes, "Lee had me take a calming draught last night."

"Your Fatal Flaw?"

"Yeah," Rhode admitted while she looked down and fidgeted a bit. She felt ashamed to have needed to resort to potions to control herself. She was better than that.

Nevertheless, she tried to reassure her friend. "I'm fine now though."

"If you say so," The daughter of Demeter said, sounding unconvinced. "So where's Lee?"

"Dunno. He said something about a surprise of some sort."

As if called by the mention of his name, the door to the Room of Requirement swung open and Lee Jordan walked in dressed in an completely out of character outfit. He was wearing a track jacket, a turtleneck sweater and a knit cap.

"What's with the get up?" Su asked even as she giggled at how ridiculous it made him look.

Rhode just stared at him in confusion.

"Rhode's gotta train hard for this competition, Su."

"Why do I need training?" Rhode asked, growing more confused by the minute.

"Because I was young once too. And I tell you somethin': Well, if you wasn't here, I probably wouldn't be alive today. The fact that you're here and doin' as well as you're doin' gives me, what do you call it, a "motivization," huh, to stay alive? 'Cause I think that people die sometimes when they don't wanna live no more."

"Lee, wha-"

Ignoring Su, Lee continued with his bizarre speech. "Little by little, we lose our friends, we lose everything. We keep losing and losing till we say, you know, "What the hell am I livin' around here for? I got no reason to go on." But with you, kid, I got a reason to go on. And I'm gonna stay alive, and I will watch you make good. And I'll never leave you until that happens. 'Cause when I leave you, you'll not only know how to fight, you'll be able to take care of yourself outside the ring too. Is that okay?"

"Are you-" Rhode went slack jawed at his raving.

"Lee, did you just rip off Mickey from the Rocky movies?" Su asked as she looked at their male friend in exasperation.

Lee rubbed his nose, "Yes, yes I did. Good right? How can that not psych you up for this, Rhode?"

Rhode just slapped him on the back of his head. "This isn't a bloody movie! Or a boxing match. Besides, I'm not worried about the stupid Tournament anyway."

"Well, at least I got you to stop being sulky." Lee smirked. "So I'll count it as a win."

"By making yourself the butt of the joke. Good job, Lee."

"Exactly Su, besides my fine butt has gotten me out of many a situation. This ain't nothing to worry about."

"What were you planning if it didn't work?" Rhode asked curiously.

"Charmed the House Elves to give me a whole cow for you to tenderize as stress relief."

"Really?" Su asked shocked that Lee would go so far.

"You weren't there last night, Su." Lee shivered. "I was genuinely afraid Miss Killer Frost here was on the verge of turning the whole of Gryffindor Tower into a wintry hellscape."

Rhode winced at this, once more looking down at her sneakers.

Su rubbed her shoulder reassuringly, trying her best to make the daughter of Poseidon feel better.

"So are we gonna get any training done today?" Rhode asked, trying to change topics to something less embarrassing.

"Sure, but we need to talk about you being the Champion first." Su insisted and Lee nodded.

So Rhode relayed how the adults seemed to think this was some kind of plot to either discredit the Tournament and the schools involved and/or to kill her. Plus how Snape had offered to train her.

"He really likes you doesn't he?" Su commented with a smile.

"That's weird, too weird." Lee frowned. "I demand a refund! He's not the Snape I'd grown to dislike."

Su smacked his arm. "Be serious."

"Ow! Damn it! Stop with the hitting already." Lee complained and both girls had the decency to smother their smiles. "The two of you can be a pair of bullies sometimes, you know? I really need some male backup. Betcha then you won't be so mean to me."

Detecting that he was not going to get any sympathy from his friends, Lee gave a resigned sigh and let the matter drop.

"Well, I'm no expert duelist like Snape is reputed to be but I think I know a spell that might help you some. Ever heard of the Water-Making charm?"

* * *

Practicing her new spell in the Room of Requirement, Rhode muttered out "Aguamenti", thereby causing the tip of her wand to release a slow trickle of water. According to Lee, the spell could create powerful water jets and even small waves but the mere thought of conjuring water on that scale had the daughter of Poseidon shivering as she remembered the last time she tried using anything that could do that.

So instead she settled for a trickle of water instead. Or more precisely, because of the mental block, trickles of water was all she could manage.

Lee had been pretty disappointed by that, but Rhode was fine with it. She didn't want a chance, no matter how remote, of a repeat of the Seashell Incident. She didn't think she could live with herself if she went through something like that again.

Using her hydrokinesis, she controlled the small puddle she had made and had it transform into a javelin that leapt across the room. The lance of water skewered a dummy right through the head and twisted in mid-air to run through another dummy in the heart. It was almost as if she were sewing with the water. The water continued through several more dummies and Rhode decided to try something more challenging.

The daughter of the seas had just finished splitting the water up into dozens of small bullets and was about to see just how closely she could replicate the power of a machine gun when a voice called to her.

" _Rhode!"_

Her concentration shattered, Rhode's water bullets splashed to the ground. Whirling around to the source of the voice the brunette was met with the face of Annabeth in a rainbow.

"Annabeth! You can't just I.M. me while I'm at school! What if mortals were arou- Wait! Have you been crying?"

It was true, the young blonde's eyes were puffy and red. Which was odd since the girl rarely ever cried. Even stranger was the fact that based on what she could see in the background instead of being with her mortal family, the daughter of Athena was at Camp.

"What happened?" Rhode asked softly, already having an idea.

" _I-I couldn't stay there a-anymore."_ The girl sniffled, rubbing her nose. _"I couldn't even make it until Winter Break. It was fine the first week, but then it just went down hill. Every time I even tried to talk with dad, he was busy with the twins. So I tried to help and took them to the park, but all he did was yell at me because a monster attacked. It wasn't even anything dangerous, just a single Scythian Dracanae. But did they care? Not at all! Nothing I do is right to them!"_

 _If your scent got your brothers attacked, then of course your dad and his wife freaked out._ Rhode thought to herself, even if she knew better than to tell her distraught friend that. It would either make her angry or sad, either way it wouldn't help her right now.

"I knew you going back was a bad idea." Rhode chose to say instead. _I might not be able to be completely honest with her, but there's no way I'm lying to her._

" _Wha-What do you mean?"_ Annabeth's brow knitted in anger, _"Did you know this would happen?"_

"Not exactly. But I knew that it wouldn't work out."

" _Then why didn't you say anything!? If you said something, then I wouldn't have gone! Then maybe I wouldn't have gone through all this."_

Rhode sighed in resignation. "You're growing up, Bethy. I can't make life choices for you, otherwise how would you do so on your own in the future."

Annabeth looked even more hurt at this and shouted, _"I hate you!"_

Rhode felt as though she had been struck across the face at the blonde's words. Before she could even formulate her words for a reply, the daughter of Athena cut off the I.M.

Her face twisted in pain, Rhode could only stare at the empty space where the rainbow had been in stunned silence.

"Rhode?"

The daughter of Poseidon turned around to see Su, looking at her in confusion.

"Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" The daughter of Demeter fretted as she came over to her.

"What are you doing here, Su?"

"I accidently left a book I have to return to the library here. I don't want it to get lost forever in here. Now what happened?"

Rhode didn't want to drag Su into her troubles, she did that enough already, but Annabeth's words had cut into her and she could really do with some comfort right now.

"Annabeth went back to Camp. She got into a row with her family. I told her I thought this might have happened before she even left but that I didn't tell her because I wanted her to learn to make her own choices. She got upset. She… She said she h-hated me." The taller girl winced at repeating the words. Her chest ached as she forced them out, each syllable cutting into her.

Su covered her mouth with a gasp. She hurried over and wrapped her arms around Rhode, "I'm sure she didn't mean it. She's most likely just confused and upset right now."

Logically, that made sense to Rhode as well, but it did little to ease the hurt.

A couch appeared near them and Su pulled her to sit down.

Rhode did so and felt drained, not physically, but emotionally. Her eyes moistened as she sniffled a little. She felt Su's arm pull her closer so that her head rested on the other girl's shoulder, something that the daughter of Poseidon was grateful for as she started to sniffle more strongly.

"It'll be okay, Rhode." The Chinese girl told her friend comfortingly.

Looking down from the rafters at the two friends, a satisfied looking dove cooed softly.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done, another down and thanks to Nameless and Axios as always.
> 
> Writing this one felt like a breeze, we just flew through it.
> 
> Nameless: Believe it or not we actually planned to have this chapter end with the First Task but by the time we reached this point, we felt enough was enough. Besides, thematically stopping here actually makes sense as this is the point where all the emotional bombshells finish exploding on Rhode. At least for a while. In comparison, the First Task is more of a standard adventure.
> 
> The canon parts added a good chunk of bulk to the story. I think it might happen in the other chapters as well. Now, onto the chapter itself! Rhode's name has been called and she is hella pissed as we showed with her lashing out at the outrage of the situation.
> 
> Nameless: For those of you who've read our other fics, you might already have guessed at least the tone of what we have in store in terms of the "suits". For those who don't know, well, you'll just have to wait and see. As for who they are based on, they are based on Minerva Lao Zabi (Her Unicorn appearance but with her original coloring) and Banagher Links from the Gundam franchise. As some might know, I'm a huge Gundam fan and am glad to have been able to give a nod to it.
> 
> We love our expys, so I hope you guys noticed them and figured out who they are. As for Rhode's reaction? Well, she knows they are dangerous, but everyone else is worried she might do something reckless, because that is just a trait of hers.
> 
> Now onto Rhode's rection to being a champion. She finds this whole thing a hassle, and is pissed that once again, Hogwarts finds a way to mess with her. To others, they either think she did put her name into the goblet but the smart people know she was forced into this. Just look at Snape.
> 
> Nameless: If you're wondering what really set her off i.e. triggered her Fatal Flaw then it's the party. Or more accurately, the way her Housemates had so easily brushed aside her repeated denials of not having "snuck into" the Tournament and her obvious distaste at participating. They were basically pushing their expectations/hopes/whatever you want to call it of having a Champion from their House onto her when she doesn't want it. In canon, Harry didn't like this either. Here, with a uber independent Rhode? She absolutely loathes it. Plus the fact that this is yet another plot to kill her doesn't help matters. She really just wants a year without this madness but sadly can't get it, which just pisses her off. Considering her Fatal Flaw, getting angry is never a good thing for her or those around her.
> 
> Seriously, it's not her speed to do so, yet they so thoroughly think she did it. And for the ending of the chapter, the Annabeth proclamation. It really is Annabeth's fault to be honest, her very presence endangers the twins and her parents just reacted to that accordingly. Sure, her dad wanted her back, but I don't think he took this into consideration at first and now it's just biting their relationship in the butt. Annabeth isn't helping either with trying to be 'helpful' but with her hubris she'd never admit she's wrong. Of course Rhode felt the whole going back home thing would fail like this (though more because she had no faith in Fred not being a jerk) and Annabeth feels betrayed in some way since her big sis didn't stop her from dealing with this pain. Rhode of course felt a deep stab at Annie's words
> 
> Nameless: Not saying that Fred Chase wasn't at fault too. As a dad, he probably could have handled things better. However, his daughter just recklessly endangered her toddler brothers and completely fails to understand that fact. I think it's fair to say that he reacted a little badly. As for Annie feeling betrayed? That's really just her being emotional and acting her age. Annabeth always tended to act older than she should thanks to her intellect but in this situation where she's too upset to think? Well, her true immaturity shines through.
> 
> Alright! You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	7. I've Got Too Much Nerve

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Seven: I've Got Too Much Nerve**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

The First Task of the Triwizard was looming and Rhode had initially just intended to ignore it and just show up on the day itself. Sure she was forced to compete, but nothing said -she'd checked- that she had to put in her best effort. Not that Su seemed to agree. Her competitive best friend had somehow got it into her pretty little head that since she had to compete then she might as well put in her best effort. So with plenty of nagging, she finally convinced Rhode to actively put in an effort to prepare.

With that in mind, she'd conscripted Lee to support her by being her eyes and ears around the castle. Rhode even lent him her invisibility cloak so he could more easily get around as he helped gather intel for the competition.

Personally, she just wished that the son of Hermes would stop humming the Mission Impossible song!

"So ready to compare notes?" Lee asked with a cheeky grin. "I betcha I found out more than you did."

"No bet." Rhode said with a frustrated growl. "I didn't get anything from those Abraxans the French have."

"Why not?" Su asked sounding surprised.

"Want me to list the many reasons why? Well, first, they aren't Greek apparently. I could barely understand them with how they kept spewing _Latin_ of all things."

"French horses speak Latin?"

"I know, doesn't makes sense to me either."

"Abraxans are Roman in origin if I remember correctly. Maybe that's why." Su offered uncertainly.

"They're still horses!" Rhode pouted, crossing her arms. "Anyways, I was just about to run off and get my Latin/Greek/English dictionary when the lady suit showed up."

The other demigods tensed.

"You didn't cause a scene, I hope." Lee asked worriedly.

"I'm not an idiot." Rhode replied defensively. "I remembered what Chiron said and left before she could say anything. Still, don't know why we need to bother though."

"Rhode." Su hissed at her warningly.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be good."

Su scrunched her face cutely as her eyes shone with disbelief.

"Well, thankfully I had better luck." Lee declared with a pleased smile.

"Out with it." Rhode demanded. She was still short from having nothing to show from her efforts and was in no mood for Lee's antics.

"Alright, alright." Lee held up his hands, "You have four tasks. Well, really three and a bonus one."

"One for each house?" Su pondered and Lee nodded.

"Bingo. They're all based on the four houses of Hogwarts."

Rhode propped her elbow on the table, resting her cheek against her fist, "Because that feels international."

"Well, we are the host school." Su offered unconvincingly even as she ushered Lee to continue.

"Alright, so you have the test of courage in the first task. Then a test of intelligence and the last is related to hard work."

"And the bonus one is obviously Slytherins." Rhode pondered with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, that's the tricky one." Lee said with a sigh. "Apparently it's got a set of secret instructions that you'll need to uncover and work out."

"So they'll give a hint during the First Task?"

"Or they expect the Champions to figure it out by spying on the organizers."

"What a waste of time." Rhode concluded with a snort. "If they want to have a bonus task then be upfront about it."

"It wouldn't exactly be a test of cunning, if they did that would it?"

"I can think of ways to keep it about cunning even if they did that." Su countered, "Though I do get Lee's point too."

"Whatever." Rhode said irritably. "So the first task is to fight some monster?"

"Yeah."

Rhode grinned broadly, "Then I have it in the bag."

* * *

Rhode felt giddy as she walked down the long corridor. She was about to have her first lesson with Professor Snape to learn some _actual_ combat spells. Sure, the stuff she knew now was alright, but learning offensive magic was the main reason she had come to Hogwarts in the first place.

It only took four years and being flung into a deadly tournament to actually get some results.

Glancing at the room number, she nodded and opened the door.

"Hello?" She asked, poking her head in and saw Snape standing by the podium. She quickly entered and closed the door behind her.

"Good, you are finally here." Snape said as he put down the book he was flipping through.

"Had a bit of trouble finding the exact room."

Snape just gave her a disbelieving quirked brow, before launching into the lesson. "For today we will be learning the basics of two spells: _Scorpionem Seras_ which fires a powerful piercing arcane bolt equivalent to a ballista bolt in power and its cousin _Sagitta Infernum_ which is a shooting spell that fires multiple arcane arrows at once."

Rhode could barely contain her excitement at the prospect of learning those spells. They both sounded badass.

"Before you get too excited though, keep in mind that unless we make remarkable progress today you'll not actually be casting either spell."

A frown marred Rhode's face, confused where this was coming from.

"Don't give me that look. You know full well from your normal studies that it takes more than a few hours to master a complex spell. And I assure you that both of these spells are fiendishly difficult. For today, we'll start on understanding the principles of the spell and if you get that down quickly, we'll then move onto the wand movements."

Rhode's hands tightened at this, a sense of indignation washing over her. If it came to combat, she wasn't like the layabout magicals. The brunette was literally born for combat. That said, she understood where Professor Snape was coming from. He was being cautious. The spells sounded dangerous and if she recklessly used them without the proper training, who knew what could happen?

She just didn't enjoy the coddling vibe he was giving off.

"We'll see how I do." Rhode said, a twinge of a challenge in her voice.

"Indeed." He said and moved to the board and began writing with a piece of chalk.

Rhode paid her utmost attention as he scratched down the instructions.

As the man lectured about the principles, applicable magical and physical laws and whatnot that affected the two spells, the daughter of Poseidon did her very best to not nod off or get distracted.

When he was done, it was time for a test. With a flick of his wand to clear the blackboard, the Professor turned to her. "Alright, now recap everything that I just said."

Rhode gulped, but tried her best.

"That's surprisingly good." Snape noted with genuine astonishment. "Most students would get less than half of that correct without notes. Though I have to ask, where _are_ yours?"

Rhode smiled nervously, "I uh, didn't bring my books. I thought we'd be just practicing."

"So when I corrected you earlier and began the lecture, you didn't once even request that I lend you parchment and a quill? Did you expect to memorize all of it?"

"I'm more of a kinesthetic learner."

Snape looked at her like she was slow. "And how is that an excuse for not taking notes during a lecture?"

A twinge of anger made its way through Rhode as she said, "I thought we were just training. I didn't think we were going to have a test."

"Do you think learning combat is all about fighting?" Snape asked her with a sneer.

"No." Rhode glared, "There's a lot more to a fight then flinging around spells."

"Well, you certainly act like you do. Not learning the fundamentals of what you are doing, whether it's the spells you use or the tactics you employ, is just asking for it to lead to death. Either your own or worse that of innocent people."

Rhode's eyes narrowed dangerously as she snapped. "I fucking know that!"

"Then act like it!" Snape snapped back. "Or do you really want to kill someone?"

Rhode looked down at her desk, her hands had gripped the ends so tightly that the wood had indented.

"I-I know that. And I'm trying… I don't want to hurt people."

 _Not ever again,_ Rhode thought with a painful twist in her gut.

"Here," Snape said using his wand to send a roll of parchment and a quill to Rhode's desk. "This time take down notes."

Rhode grumpily nodded.

Things went a lot smoother the second time around and Rhode, with the help of her notes, aced Snape's test.

"Well done." The Professor congratulated. "It's getting late, but I think we have time for one last thing."

"What? Another test?"

Snape shot her a warning look, but otherwise ignored her sarcastic question. "A demonstration."

Stalking away from the blackboard and pass the rows of student desks, he walked to the empty space at the back of the classroom.

Eager to see what she'd spent the last _three hours_ studying about in action, Rhode followed.

"Tristy, the dummy." He called as if to thin air, only for a training dummy to suddenly appear out of nowhere at the far end of the classroom.

"How?"

"House elves are remarkably discreet when they need to be." Snape said with an amused smirk. "Now let's begin."

With a flourish of his wand, he said, " _Scorpionem Seras_."

A fiery bolt of raw arcane energy fired from the tip of his wand. And with the speed of a ballista bolt, the dummy had a gaping hole in the center of its chest. It was so powerful that it left a hole in the classroom's wall.

"As you can see, its penetration power is frightful." He instructed and waved his wand at the wall, fixing the damage he had done.

"How about the other one?" Rhode asked enthusiastically. If the first spell was already this impressive, then she could only imagine how the second one would be like.

" _Sagitta Infernum_."Snape hissed as he swept his wand through the air in a wide arc. For every few inches that his wand cut through the air, a small arrow of arcane energy leapt from its tip. The dozens of arrows streaked through the air, not in straight lines but in unpredictable curving patterns before they all impacted the dummy at once and drilled a multitude of holes through it.

"I can see why something like that isn't in the textbooks." Rhode whistled, very much impressed by the display of destructive power Snape showed.

"That and they are both very draining spells. As it is my limit is three or four such spells before I suffer from magical exhaustion." Snape admitted.

"Hm, so magical fatigue is the drawback huh?" Rhode crossed her arms in thought.

"With perhaps the exception of the Unforgivables, which instead is fuelled by the darkness of the soul, this is the case for all powerful spells."

"The Killing Curse…" The daughter of Poseidon frowned, the flash of green light going through her memory.

"And the Torture Curse and Imperius as well." Snape reminded.

"Right, the get out of jail free card." She couldn't help but sneer.

"Quite." Snape agreed. "Though they hardly got off scot free. No one forgot what they did. Regardless of whether you believe the Imperius defense, everyone knows that they _did_ do terrible things. They were never truly trusted ever again."

"Even Malfoy?"

"Especially Malfoy."

"Hmm… Didn't know that."

"Not surprising. Lucius is a master at keeping up appearances."

"Peacocks and such I guess." Rhode shook her head, "So wand movements next?"

"Not tonight." Snape said. "As I said earlier, it's getting late. Though there is one more thing I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to say that despite your earlier _issue_ with your notes, you impressed me tonight. You are quite the quick learner, Lily would be proud."

"Don't mention that woman again." Rhode warned. "I've put her behind me. She has nothing to do with me now."

Snape was incredulous at her reply. "How could you say that about your own mother?"

"Why not? I don't know her. She might as well be a stranger."

"Then you should be trying to learn more about her, not write her off!"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" Rhode snarled, "I've chosen to leave the Potters in the past and that's final!"

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down.

The stare off ended when Snape closed his eyes with a calming breath. He backed off thankfully, but not before saying, "I'm disappointed, but I can begrudgingly see where you are coming from."

Rhode blinked in surprise at this, she hadn't expected Snape to back down so easily.

"So you're not going to mention _that woman_ again?"

The Professor looked pained, but nodded.

"Good. Same time next week?"

"Yes," Snape replied, his mask of a stern Professor back in place. "I'll keep you informed if there are any changes."

"Well, see you then Professor." Rhode offered in farewell as she left. As she walked down the corridor to head back to Gryffindor Tower she heard Snape offering apologies to Lily Potter, but she was kind enough to ignore him.

_Oh gods! I really hope I never end up as such a lovesick fool as he is._

* * *

"This is a load of crap!" Rhode cursed as she threw the latest edition of the Daily Prophet onto the table the Room of Requirement had conjured. It was folded to yet another in a long line of attack pieces on Rhode written by Rita Skeeter all due to snubbing that hack of a reporter during that ridiculous wand weighing ceremony.

"What did she say this time?" Su asked her softly.

"Apparently I'm as cold as a tundra on the outside, but in reality I'm just a frightened girl that needs a good and strapping boy to chase my woes away."

"So she basically called you a tsundere?" Lee chortled.

Su giggled, but Rhode just blinked in confusion. "What's that?"

"A Japanese term for a person who is outwardly cold and even hostile towards others but is hiding a warmer side."

Rhode deadpanned, "That's just crazy. I'm not like that."

"I don't know…" Su trailed off with a giggle.

Rhode pouted at her best friend. She should be on her side!

"Anyway, Lee how much do you think I can sue the Daily Prophet for slandering a minor? Because libel laws seem to be out the window!"

"I don't think that's a thing."

"It should be." Rhode grumbled. "Because right now? If I don't get any satisfaction soon, I'm hunting the hag down and breaking her arm."

"Rhode, you can't just cause bodily harm to make yourself feel better." Su gently scolded.

The daughter of Poseidon pouted further at this.

At the girl's brooding, the daughter of Demeter patted her on the shoulder with a small smile.

"If that hag wants a story, she could write one up on Granger and the tiniest Weasley instead." Rhode commented, "That's a book all by itself."

"How did that turn out anyway?" Su asked curiously. "Last I knew didn't Ginny ask you to protect her from Granger because she was being too controlling."

"Yeah, she did. Total waste of my time."

"Why?"

"Because she went right back!" Rhode threw her arms in the air, "I got right in Granger's face and called her out about how everyone knows how much of a control freak she is. But sweet Olympus, a day later the daft girl goes running back to Granger and things are back to the way they were with her doing everything 'her girlfriend' tells her to. It's like the cult of the bookworm."

"Let's not call it that." Su said with a frown on her pretty face.

"Yeah, not catchy enough." Lee added. "Not that a better name would entice Skeeter to pick it up. She's only interested in gossip about famous people."

"And just my luck, I happen to be in that category." Rhode's face met the table, a groan escaping her.

"Sucks to be you."

Su just patted Rhode on the back placatingly and glared at Lee.

"I'm sure it will pass. It's not like she'll be here next year."

* * *

The morning of the First Task, Rhode ate her breakfast in a grumpy mood. She was totally not looking forward to being used as entertainment for the wizarding masses.

"Evans, it's time to go." Snape told her as he walked over to the Gryffindor Table. Apparently he had been assigned to collect her.

"To the arena we go!" She declared and stood up. She followed the man as she felt the eyes of nearly all the students on her.

Her shoulders tensed as the demigod pondered what she would be up against.

"Tell me, Evans. Do you believe my lessons will help you against the monster?"

"So it's a monster after all, huh?" Rhode's face turned into a smile, "Good to know Nike is favoring me in this one."

Snape just quirked his lips slightly in what was his equivalent of a conspiratorial smirk.

"And yeah, your training will be a great help."

"I look forward to you showing me your proficiency in those spells I taught you, though perhaps not today."

Rhode frowned at that hint. Not today? So the spells she'd learnt from him wouldn't be useful against the monster she'd be going up against?

 _Scorpionem Seras_ _, Sagitta Infernum,_ _Diffindo, Confringo, Bombarda and that one spell that was Snape's own invention Sectumsepra. What do they all have in common?_ Rhode pondered as the two walked down the path from the castle to the repurposed Quidditch Pitch. _I've got it! They all cause physical damage. So the monster must be immune to it somehow._

The daughter of Poseidon sighed at that. _So it's some kind of spirit probably. Really need to look into some kind of purification spell. The undead and the like are such a pain._

As they arrived at the pitch, Rhode could hear the chattering of the masses filling the bleachers. Rolling her eyes at the idiot wizards getting all excited over a bunch of teenagers risking their lives fighting a monster, she let her Professor escort her towards the tent with two entrances.

"The ladies' changing room is through the left. The gear for the Tournament should be waiting for you inside."

"Gear?"

"You didn't expect us to have you fight in your robes did you?"

"...I wouldn't put it past them." She freely admitted to the Professor.

"I wish I could disagree. That said, enough dallying."

"Damn! Thwarted." The demigoddess joked even as she pushed past the privacy screen and walked into the tent.

Delacour was already inside the changing room, apparently having just finished changing into the provided gear - hers being in a baby blue shade - and was fastening one of her boots.

Hanging on the wall of the tent was a near identical set of gear but in Gryffindor red and gold, no doubt for her. There was a basic sports uniform and what looked like a dragonhide protective oversuit.

The preppy girl walked past her in a brisk pace, "Br'ak your leg."

Rhode was pretty sure she didn't mean for her to do her best and called back.

"Break your face! Bitch." The demigod muttered as she quickly went to get changed.

At least they gave her pants and not a skirt. Though Rhode had to wonder how they had her measurements and why it couldn't be a bit baggier?

Once done, she followed the example of the Barbie doll and headed out of the changing area.

"Miss Evans, you're here. Good, good." Ludo Bagman said as he saw her walk into the main compartment of the tent. "Now that everyone is here, I can explain what you'll all need to do in the First Task."

Krum had a stony visage, seemingly prepared for anything. Cedric looked on edge in comparison as he was tapping his foot rapidly. Delacour looked poised and flippant as if she had better things to do.

Rhode was just bored. She didn't want to be here and really just wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. So she tuned out all the stuff Bagman was saying, and focused on what was important. It looked like she was gonna be facing a Dementor.

"A Dementor?" Cedric asked, looking ashen at the declaration.

"Just focus on happy thoughts." Rhode told him. "And use the Patronus Charm."

"I-I don't know the Patronus Charm."

"Then vou'd better hope the handlers are quick at subduing the thing after it takes vou out." Krum told the other boy dispassionately.

Rhode looked confused, she thought something like that would be taught to the older students.

"Zhe way zhe talkz, zhe little girl zeemz to know it." Delacour hummed, giving Rhode a look of approval.

Rhode couldn't help but feel a touch dirty at having the snobbish girl's approval.

"Now, now, enough snarking gentlemen, ladies. It's time to choose who goes first." Bagman said as he held out a bag. "Inside are numbered balls from one to twenty that will serve to indicate your order for the First Task. The smallest number goes first and the biggest goes last. The balls also contain a clue to a later Task but you'll need to figure that out on your own. So whatever the case, hold onto them."

"Can we volunteer?" Rhode asked with a raised hand.

"Afraid not dear girl. But good nerve on you!" Bagman said as he held out the bag to the teenagers.

They took turns fishing for a ball. Krum got a three, Delacour managed a seven, Cedric ended up with eleven and thanks to her demigod luck, Rhode got twenty.

 _Last for the show. Why not?_ Rhode glared at the numbered ball in annoyance.

"Trade?" Rhode playfully asked Cedric, waving her ball in the air.

Cedric seemed to actually consider it before shaking his head.

"I'd rather just get it over with."

The daughter of Poseidon shrugged, "Fair enough."

"Now, Champions. Wait for your name to be called then enter the arena by using this exit." Bagman finished up, indicating a large exit behind him.

"I wonder if they have doves waiting to fly around us when we exit." Rhode couldn't help but ponder aloud after Bagman left.

"A touch too dramatic." Delacour said with an amused look.

 _Why am I getting along with this girl?!_ Rhode grunted in annoyance.

* * *

Rhode's legs kicked in the air as she sat on a tall chair. Krum and Delacour had both handled their Dementors quite well, using their Patronuses - a lion and a rooster respectively - to fight off the Dementor. The Bulgarian had a better showing however as he managed to keep his cool even as he faced the monster's fear aura. In contrast, the Frenchwoman ended the Task with tears running freely down her face.

That was still loads better than Cedric, who broke down into a hysterical mess and had to be saved by the Dementor's handlers before he became a victim of its legendary soul sucking kiss.

" _And now for our last and youngest Champion! Rhode Evans of Hogwarts!"_ Bagman's voice rang out.

Jumping off her seat, Rhode took a calming breath and headed out of the tent.

The crowd roared once she exited, it was nearly deafening as Rhode walked down to the pitch.

Striking a roman salute towards Dumbledore at the Judges' table, Rhode shouted. "Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant!"

Thank you Mr. D for showing the movie Gladiator constantly during Friday Film Night.

Instead of catching the accusation hidden in the declaration however, the crowd just seem to find it little more than a fun bit of theatrics and cheered widely in response.

 _Tch, and they claim the muggles are savages._ The demigod couldn't help but think with distaste.

At least Dumbledore seemed to get it, if his troubled look was anything to go by.

It was the little things in life.

Stretching her arms, Rhode listened to Bagman as he reassured everyone for the umpteenth time that safety was the Tournament's top priority.

Rhode's hand hovered over her wand holstered to her thigh and waited for the monster to come out and play.

" _And now for the last bout of the First Task! Gentlemen, release the beast!"_

From the opposite side of the arena, a coffin like box was literally catapulted into the battleground. It hit the ground and shattered, and from its shattered remains there emerged a pair of skeletal hands. With strength beyond what its frail looking arms would suggest, the Dementor pushed itself easily out of the wreckage of its cage.

This particular spectral horror was a particularly large specimen too. It was eleven feet from the top of its hood to the lowest trailing edge of the dark tattered cloth that covered its body.

The familiar dark inkling tickled the back of Rhode's brain, but she quickly snuffed it out. All her preparations for the dementors last year was coming in handy once more.

Joyous thoughts filled the mind of the daughter of the seas as she drew her wand and aimed it at the shadowy monster. With a practiced flourish of her wrist, Rhode exclaimed, " _Expecto Patronum_!"

At the brunette's declaration, a misty silver spray escaped the tip of her wand and swiftly began to coalesce into her Patronus.

With a whinny, a silver mare galloped towards the Dementor.

Bagman was shouting and raving over the mic and the crowd was roaring with pleasure at the corporeal Patronus.

Though instead of trampling the monster, it instead ran around it. The solidified joyful memory herding the monster closer to Rhode, who sported a wicked grin.

She pulled Spellbound out of her pocket and shifted it into it's weapon form. While she'd been waiting for her turn after Cedric had left the tent, Rhode had drowned the weapon in the Mist, thus making it invisible to even the most perceptive of wizards. As the Dementor drifted towards her she stabbed the Celestial Bronze trident at the beast.

Amazingly, the Dementor shifted to the side and the polearm only managed to pierce the excess of fabric that the monster was wearing.

This nevertheless seemed to scare the creature badly as it let loose a horrific wail and shot up into the air to create distance from the weapon.

" _What's this? Evans is hurting the Dementor!? Incredible! Is this some new spell she's invented?"_

"You're not getting away that easily!" Rhode roared as she ordered her Patronus to force the creature to her once more.

The single Dementor however proved to be annoyingly agile in the air as it somehow managed to constantly keep one step ahead of her mare.

" _I believe it is safe to say that Evans has undoubtedly toppled the Dementor! Gentlemen, please collect the beast. It is time for the judges to proceed with the scoring!"_

With that a trio of Patronuses - a fox, a rabbit and a shark - joined Rhode's own and working together the four projections managed to corral the specter back to earth where a group of wizards were waiting with a coffin like box to seal it into.

A group of thankful nods came from the monster's keepers as they shuffled off with it.

Annoyance was the only thing Rhode could feel as she changed Spellbound back into its disguised form and stuffed it into her pocket.

That was utterly anti-climactic.

It was especially grating because Bagman was making a mountain out of a molehill. _"That was truly a spectacular performance. Not only did Evans show no fear, she even managed to harm the untouchable embodiment of fear itself. Surely the judges will give her a record breaking score for that."_

_Embodiment of fear? I really hope Phobos doesn't get offended by them comparing him to Dementors._

Shaking her head at yet another example of wizarding stupidity, Rhode just turned around and walked back to the tent she'd exited from earlier.

_Well, whatever. It's not my problem. Even if he does make a fuss, I don't care. They made their bed, they can lay it. After that letdown of a fight, there's no way I'm gonna help them._

WIth that, she headed to the tent to get changed, uncaring about her score. It's not like it mattered to her.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as usual!
> 
> Feels like a short chapter, but it was supposed to be part of the last chapter. Still, I think we did it some justice. I am personally loving this Snape and his interactions with Rhode. Here's hoping for some more fun training.
> 
> Nameless: Me too. We didn't initially plan it as such, but the chapter largely revolved around that in the end, didn't it? In hindsight, it might have been a good thing. It nicely outlines the growing relationship between Rhode and Snape. One of mutual respect, most of the time at least, with Rhode respecting Snape's skill as a combat wizard and Snape respecting Rhode's abilities in general.
> 
> And yes, Rita Skeeter has publicly dubbed Rhode as a tsundere. I cannot believe we did that unintentionally. Still, it so fits her. Now we have to find a way to have her stammer the word idiot… a challenge I wholeheartedly accept! Now onto the end of the chapter… Rhode's battle lust is showing and it has not been sated! Blood for the blood god!
> 
> Nameless: Lackluster fight huh? Well, considering it was only a single Dementor, we couldn't exactly justify it being any longer than this.
> 
> Well, you guys know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	8. My Psycho Ball

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Eight: My Psycho Ball**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

_Hey Journal dude,_

_So the First Task of this stupid Tournament is over and done with, and boy was it boring as hell. They had me fighting a Dementor of all things. As in_ one _of the damn things. It's not like I fought a horde of them last year or anything!_

_At least Professor Snape was a bro about the whole thing. When the stupid wizards were all in an uproar about how I managed to deal with the oh so dangerous Dementor so easily, he stepped up and covered for me. He told them that he trained me for it. Since we used the Mist last year to have him take credit for trashing the Dementor swarm, the sheep bought it hook, line and sinker._

_And he didn't even need to lie about it! He is training me after all._

_Really wish he could teach me how to get the sheep to believe whatever he says. Then I'd not have to deal with the whole castle see-sawing between supporting me and hating me. By the way, they all love me now after I totally outshined Cedric. - Poor him! He peed his pants in front of the whole school! Bye bye pretty boy image. - Except maybe the Hufflepuffs, they still hate me but are too embarrassed by their Champion to make a fuss with me._

_Honestly, with all the crap here at Hogwarts, I'm contemplating why I'm still even coming to this school. With Voldebutt done and dead, thank Thanatos, even the thought of just sticking around for the O.W.L.s is losing its appeal. Don't tell Su that though. Otherwise, she won't stop reminding me about how the Ministry will snap my wand if I don't get my O.W.L.s. I'd like to see the jerkwads try!_

_Actually… Talking about Su… It's weird between us, you know? Not that we're not getting along or anything. It's just I get this strange feeling when we hang out. It's not bad, just strange. I can't really pin down what it is though. It's a little like how I feel when I hang out with Jack, but less intense but more comfortable? Does that make sense? Does this mean I like her, as in a 'I want her to be my girlfriend' kinda way? But I don't swing that way, right? And I like, I think, Jack don't I? Ugh! This is all so confusing!_

_Whatever! You know what? I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole. I'm gonna stick with things as is with Jack as my maybe, kinda, future boyfriend and Su as my trusty best friend._

_Anyway book buddy, I'm out. Going to meet up with Su._

_Peace!_

* * *

Su walked up the hill back to the school, a giddy happiness clear on her face as she handled the bag of ingredients that she'd had her Father secretly hand deliver to the school. It was quite the hassle for the busy Auror and she'd originally just requested he send it by mail. But after she'd told him what it was for, he'd been incredibly supportive and insisted on handing it to her in person. Hence, her having to walk down to the castle gates to meet him.

It was all worth it though, soon she'd be able to charm Rhode with some traditional Chinese pastries. They say that the way to a man's heart was through their stomach, and while Rhode was no man, the daughter of Demeter was sure it was still true. Just look at how gaga her crush got over her Skittles and dessert sometimes.

With this she was sure she'd get the daughter of Poseidon's attention at last! Take that, Jack!

"Maybe the Elves will let me use the kitchens?" Su muttered to herself, "If not, then I guess I can get the Room of Requirement to conjure something up for me."

 _Or am I being too forward? I don't want her to know yet…_ A sense of worry crossed Su's features, _I'm not ready to confess! Not before I'm sure Rhode will at least take me seriously. I don't think I can live with the shame of confessing and have her tell me she doesn't swing that way._

Her face flustered, she could only halfheartedly curse Rhode for being so, so dashing!

"Then again, I could just spin the treats as comfort food. She has been getting a little miffed with all the attention over being the Champion." Su reasoned. "I guess that could work."

She was nearly at the stairs to the school's main entrance when she heard a male voice speaking excitedly nearby.

"It's wonderful news! I couldn't be happier." The 'muggle' Banagher Burnes-Links said as he strolled up one of the many scenic paths around the Castle's grounds arm in arm with his wife.

The couple seemed to have just finished a picnic if the wicker basket he was carrying was any indication.

_A picnic now? In the middle of winter?_

But that wasn't the end of their weirdness, because not only were they out picnicking when it was freezing, they weren't even dressed for the weather. The woman was dressed in a summer dress and straw hat while her husband was wearing a casual shirt and slacks combo.

 _They are definitely not normal._ Su thought to herself as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Remembering Chiron's warning, Su was about to beat a hasty retreat but was thwarted as the couple spotted her and nodded in greeting.

"H-Hello. I-I must be going now." She offered as politely as her frayed nerves allowed.

She quickly went around the two adults and thankfully they let her go without issue.

"Goodbye, daughter of Demeter."

Su felt as if her entire body had turned to stone as he said that. She swallowed a lump in her throat and shakily asked, "W-What?!"

"Honestly, what did I say about taking it slow. It's only been a month." The woman chided.

"I just didn't feel like beating around the bush." The man said, scratching the back of his head.

Recovering as fast as she could, Su gave them a tense smile, "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. H-Have a good day."

The couple just offered her smiles, the woman's comforting and the man's sheepish, but didn't stop her as she edged away from them cautiously.

"Get away from Su!" Rhode screamed as she suddenly ran out of the castle to stand protectively between Su and the couple.

"Rhode?"

"I saw these two giving you trouble and sprinted over here to help." Rhode explained in between breaths. From how hard she was breathing, she must have ran half the length of the castle!

While deeply touched by this, Su couldn't help sighing at how rash Rhode could get. In fact, if she weren't so worried about the situation getting out of hand, the daughter of agriculture would have facepalmed.

"I believe there's been a misunderstanding, Miss Evans." Audrey Burnes-Links said soothingly as she stepped forward with her hands out in a placating gesture. "We were-"

"I said stay away." Rhode shouted as she shoved the woman. Knowing her friend, Su realized she was just trying to get the redhead to back off, but because of the adrenaline of the run she accidentally applied too much force and instead ended up sending her falling to the ground.

Color drained from Rhode's face and she quickly tried to apologize, "I'm so-"

The demigoddess was cut off though as she was sent flying twenty feet by a blast of energy.

Su gasped and turned to see her friend tumble a good ten feet along the ground before coming to a stop and shakily try to push herself to her feet. She looked disorientated though, like she was pushing through some kind of fog.

She wasn't the only one as the daughter of Demeter was also suddenly feeling like there was a immense pressure pressing down on her whole being.

"What do you think you're doing to my pregnant wife?"

 _Who are these people? How can they do that? T-That's not magic._ The Chinese girl noted as she turned to look at the source of the pressure, Banagher.

Though he looked nothing like the laid back and even jovial man that he usually was. Instead, he looked like some kind of war god as he was enshrouded in a flickering green aura and dozens of funnel shaped drones materialized around him and his wife in a protective circle and pointed glowing cannons at the two demigoddesses.

Su quickly went to help the woman up, but yelped as a beam of energy hit the ground just in front of her foot. Jumping back, the daughter of Demeter looked up to see a dozen drones angling their guns right at her.

She froze in terror at the sight. _Is this how I'm going to die?_

Thankfully, before the man could blast her to pieces, the woman pushed herself up and grabbed his arm, "What do you think you're doing?! She was about to apologize. Even I could tell she didn't mean to do that. And the young lady here only wanted to help me up." She jabbed her finger at the tip of his nose, "And just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm suddenly made of glass."

She suddenly snapped her fingers and the pressure Su felt washed away in an instant.

"I'm sorry! I just saw you fall and I snapped. I-I don't want anything to happen to you!" He said with clear concern on his face, pulling her close to him. "I just found out and- I guess I just wasn't thinking straight."

While Audrey berated her husband, Su walked over to her own wayward partner.

"Ugh, so that's what getting hit by a Semi feels like…" Su heard Rhode groan as she finally managed to shakily get to her feet. There was a scorched hole in her clothes from the blast that Banagher had used to send her flying. The visible skin was a bright red as if she was burned, which Su found peculiar since Rhode had some resistance to heat.

 _When did she get a six pack?_ Su thought to herself dreamily, but quickly shook her head. _Focus! Forget about those scrumptious abs!_

Forcing her eyes away from Rhode's taut stomach, she instead looked her in the eye and began chiding her for her rash behavior.

"What were you doing? This didn't need to become a fight."

"I was ju-"

"I know you were trying to help me, but by Olympus, Rhode you need to learn not to pick unnecessary fights."

Rhode rubbed the back of her neck, "I was just worried. I thought you were in trouble and I…"

Su's face softened, her anger washing away. Oh, why did she have to be so heroic? It was going to be the death of her one day.

"That was sweet of you to worry so much for your friend, Miss Evans." Audrey told Rhode with a smile, her chastised husband trailing behind her as she walked over to check her for injuries. Su idly noted that his drones had disappeared.

"I'm sorry. I was being a hothead."

"What's new?" Su quirked a brow.

Rhode pouted at her, but said nothing else.

The older woman smiled at Su, "I know your pain." She stated and cast a glance at her husband.

"Audrey, company is on its way." Banagher said suddenly, as he looked towards the castle.

"Who are you guys? You know, really." Rhode asked them, making Su tug nervously on her sleeve.

They didn't need anymore trouble.

 _That is something that I think we can explain somewhere a little more private._ Audrey's voice echoed in Su's mind.

Rhode's body was wound up more than a top as her hand went into her pocket but Su caught her arm and gave her a restraining squeeze.

"Please don't do that." Rhode asked with gritted teeth.

Banagher shot her an unimpressed look. "You're a demigod and unfamiliar with telepathy? What have your gods been teaching you?"

"I am, I just don't like it. And I thought we had to go somewhere else?" The daughter of Poseidon said, desperately trying to change the topic.

"Suggestions?" Audrey asked as she led the way back into the castle, even as a group of wizards started to trickle out of the castle to see what was going on. Strangely, even though the four of them were standing right there, they didn't seem to be able to see them.

_The Room of Requirement would work, but I don't think we want to show them our main base of operations. In that case..._

"There's an empty corridor we can go to. The morning classes should be over." Su helpfully informed.

"Lead the way."

* * *

"Again, I'm sorry." Rhode said to Audrey as they arrived in the second floor corridor. It was completely empty except for the four of them at the moment and thus the perfect place for a private discussion about sensitive topics.

"It's fine, it's fine." The woman told her with that seemingly trademark comforting smile. "I remember being a hotheaded girl when I was your age too."

"Yes, I remember too. You were sneaking onto battlefields to try to convince the warring parties to stop fighting." Banagher said with a shake of his head. "More than once too!"

"I met you on one of those outings, didn't I?" Audrey shot back with a teasing smile.

"And very nearly gave me and everyone else a heart attack in the process."

"A romance that blossomed on a battlefield? That's actually pretty romantic." Rhode couldn't help but smile a little, "Now I really want to know who you guys are."

"Rhode, remember what Chiron said?" Su reminded her friend warningly.

_Rhode! What on earth are you thinking? Why can't you just let this matter go?_

The taller brunette could be so inquisitive at the wrong times.

And there was nothing romantic about meeting someone on the battlefield! What was this? Achilles and Penthesilea?

"Not quite, Ms Li" Audery said, in response to Su's thoughts. "I wasn't Banagher's enemy."

Su flushed and made it a point to keep her thoughts to herself. Ugh, the woman could probably feel some of her… other thoughts. She really hoped she kept them to herself.

"No, you just played helpless and tricked me into being your bodyguard." The man grumbled. "I had to defeat a whole army - of your family's men - just to get you home."

Rhode snorted at this and Su swatted her arm to quiet her.

"Well, it impressed my father didn't it? I doubt he'd have let us get married if you didn't."

"Not going to lie, that's actually kind of cool." Rhode hummed in thought.

 _How do you get us into these situations? No, why are you so calm around them now?!_ Su couldn't understand how Rhode was managing to keep her cool.

"Thank you, but I don't think you asked to speak to us to hear our whole love story."

"I don't mind."

"Trust me, you will." Banagher said as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's a few movies worth."

Rhode's eyes gleamed, "Full of explosions?"

"Enough to make me never want to see another one." Audrey told her, with a shake of her head.

"Alright, I can wait. For now. So who are you guys? Like supernatural government guys? MIB?"

"Interpol, actually." Audrey replied, as she flashed her credentials. "At least officially. Unofficially, we work with the Organization, the UN body in charge of managing supernatural affairs."

"...So much better than what I was hoping." Rhode stage whispered to Su.

"You were hoping for this?"

"That or some crazy government conspiracy, but this is close enough."

Why did her crush's mind have to wander like an excitable child's?

"So besides being ghostbusters, what are you?"

"Ghosts aren't our speciality." Banagher replied with a teasing smirk. "And we're both Newtypes, a kind of psychic."

"Get out of town!" Rhode gawked, looking at them excitedly.

"So what are the two of you doing here at Hogwarts?" Su asked warily. "You did know who my Mother was."

Rhode tensed a bit at this as well, looking at the two curiously.

The two psychics exchanged a look, before Audrey nodded and Banagher began to explain. "We're here to monitor the Triwizard. For it's duration we're to keep watch on Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and by extension Hogwarts and the British Ministry to make sure that the Tournament meets safety requirements."

"So where's Hogwarts watcher?"

"The British have so far refused oversight from the rightful government." The man grunted. "They honestly think they can survive on their own without the so-called muggles, nevermind they don't even grow enough food to feed themselves and import almost all of it from their mundane cousins."

"Whoa, of course they're that moronic. Do they really think they don't need to be watched? I mean for the most part they're stuck in the dark ages for crying out loud." Rhode scoffed and crossed her arms. "I mean one well placed missile strike and bye bye Wizarding World."

"Pet peeve?" Audrey asked Su.

The child of agriculture just nodded.

"At least she gets it." Banagher said with approval, "They think they're some higher race, but they're hardly even one percent of the world."

"Need I remind you about Zeon Deikun?"

"Well, at least he didn't try to take over the world with that philosophy of his?"

"Uncle Gihren, Aunt Kycilia, Haman Karn, Glemy Toto, and dozens of others. Do I need to name more of our kind who have?"

"Someone's always trying to take over the world these days, huh?" The daughter of Poseidon asked.

The man dragged his hand down his face, "You have no idea. But back on topic, the British Section of the Wizarding World is fast losing its strength to keep us out. I think you can figure out why." He said, eying Rhode's scar.

His wife continued, "The only reason they've managed the last decade or so is by playing nice with Her Majesty's Government and giving in to a host of demands. Not that they tell their public that. In fact, that's part of the reason we are here. Our presence here is a step in the gradual process of ending the autonomy of Wizarding Britain."

Su nodded to this, the Minister wouldn't freely declare such a sign of weakness. Not that Fudge was ever a strong Minister to begin with. In fact, she personally found the man to be a complete fop. Still, the way the woman was speaking about how the wizarding world becoming subject to the muggles being inevitable unnerved her.

_Though that's not really the main issue here._

"What does this mean for us?" Su asked, driving to the crux of the matter.

"Nothing." Audrey assured. "So long as you and your fellow demigods don't do anything unreasonable, you will be allowed to go about things as per normal. That's the agreement that has existed between the world leaders and the gods for centuries."

"I'm guessing that was signed after Hitler." Rhode stated with a frown.

"Long before that." Banagher countered. "Contrary to whatever you've heard from the gods or the wizards, World War II was largely a mundane affair. Sure they both played a part, but only a small one in the grand scheme of things."

"Alright." Rhode said disbelievingly. Su had to agree with her friend, when three of the key players in the war were demigods, it was hard to see World War II as anything other than a case of the gods using their power to influence the world.

"But in case something does happen. That is to say, _if_ you kids do cross the line, countermeasures are in place to handle you."

Su couldn't help but hug herself uneasily as a shiver ran down her spine at that.

"I'm sure some lines have already been crossed in the past."

"They have." Audrey agreed. "Though you'd be surprised how forgiving we generally are."

"That said," Banagher cut in, his eyes glowing green. "More than one god has learned how easy it is to make the whole world forget its existence when telepaths with global reach are involved."

"What good would that do?" Rhode asked, even as she blinked in confusion.

"You've made gods _Fade_!" Su gasped as she put it together. _Terrifying! To have the power to do that… There's no other way to describe it._

Rhode turned pale at this declaration.

"Girls," Audrey raised her hands to calm them, "Understand that we'd only do that in the most extreme of cases. We would never do so unless we absolutely have to."

"So, if you guys can make gods fade, what about-"

"One moment." Audrey said as she tilted her head to the side, as if she was listening to something. "Hm, it seems we're running short on time. Sorry girls, but we have to go. Have a pleasant day and be good."

"If you have any more questions, feel free to speak to us again." Banagher offered, as held out his arm to his wife.

"Sure. See you around." Rhode nodded and Su couldn't help but frown at her.

The couple nodded, and arm in arm, they walked off.

Su felt a flood of tension pour out of her as they turned the corridor. That was almost as nerve-wracking as facing off against a top tier monster.

"Man, they were pretty scary huh?" Rhode asked Su, not even sounding the least bit frightened. "I'm glad I managed to defuse that by acting all excited. If not… Becoming their enemy, for real? I don't think we'd like that."

_I can't help but find her nerve both admirable and somewhat worrying. You have to be more careful, Rhode!_

"Say Su, want to go relax? After that I think we deserve it."

"Sure."

The daughter of Demeter wouldn't willingly give up on any opportunity to spend time with her friend.

* * *

After a relaxing sparring session Su, Rhode had split from her friend for the time being to find a spot where she could be alone. She needed to speak with Triton about the psychics ASAP. Slipping into an empty classroom, Rhode pulled out her phone and dialed his number.

As the phone rang, she heard it picked up but it wasn't a male voice that answered.

" _Hello, Rhode."_

The voice was beautiful and held a rippling quality to it.

It reminded the daughter of the seas of Thetis.

"Who is this?" Rhode asked, worriedly. She had a guess and she prayed to her dad that she was wrong.

" _Your stepmother, Amphitrite."_

 _Oh shite!_ Rhode paled as she pulled the phone back to check she had indeed called Triton. She had, so why was Amphitrite answering? "H-Hello, lovely to speak with you, um, My Lady."

She did her best to sound polite but damn her voice went up a pitch. She hadn't prepared herself for this conversation!

" _It is a pleasure to speak to you as well. Now may I know why you called? Is something wrong?"_ Her father's queen asked kindly.

"I, uh, yes, Brother Triton visited me with a message from Father. He told me to call him to follow-up about it."

" _Anything you wish to tell Triton, I'm sure you can share with me. Is this about the psychics that the Organization sent to your school?"_

"I had a meeting with them." Rhode said sheepishly, "They weren't as bad as I thought they were."

" _My Husband expressly warned you to_ not _do such a thing, did he not?"_

"I'm sorry! It was very strange circumstances and we just ended up talking. It ended very peacefully?"

" _I did not think you were one for diplomacy."_ The goddess quipped dryly, _"While I am thankful it ended in peace, I still suggest you keep your distance."_

"I'll keep that in mind. So, um, was there a reason that you answered this call instead of Triton?"

" _There is. I have something I need to speak to you about."_ The goddess said sounding uneasy.

_What could be she be uneasy about?_

"What is it?"

" _Rhode, I have a confession to make."_ The Queen of the Sea said in a deeply apologetic tone. _"The Seashell Incident was my fault."_

Rhode sucked in a breath at that, shocked beyond words by the revelation.

"You caused the shell to overload like that?"

" _Not directly. That was Nemesis' doing."_

"You hired the goddess of vengeance to mess with me!?" Rhode said, heat in her voice as she gripped the phone tightly.

" _No, I would never."_ The goddess said soothingly. _"I merely asked the goddess of balance to assist you in coming up with a means to help you better manage your Fatal Flaw. She wasn't my first choice, but considering I had to keep my involvement as low profile as possible there were few other options."_

"So you're blaming Nemesis?"

" _For things happening as they did? Certainly._ _She operates on a system of equivalent exchange and so I knew from the onset that whatever she did to help you with your Flaw would cost you dearly. What I did not expect was her intervention to be quite so traumatic."_

"How the hell does me becoming a murderer help me with my Flaw!?"

" _Just thinking about the Incident has stopped you from acting on your Flaw on more than one occasion already, has it not?"_

Rhode had to grudgingly concede that, even as she fumed at the injustice of it all. "Fine, so it helped. But it's not worth it damnit."

" _I agree and apologize that things ended up as it did."_

The demigoddess took a deep breath to calm herself, before replying. "Fine, I accept your apology but don't think I've forgiven you for this. Or Nemesis."

" _That's fair enough."_

"So anything else you want to talk about, _My Lady_?" Rhode said sneering the honorific.

If the goddess of springs noticed, she made no mention of it. _"Only a gentle request. Please wear the necklace to the upcoming Ball. It would mean a great deal to the whole family."_

"Ball?"

" _You'll find out soon enough."_ The goddess replied teasingly. _"Now, I do think that I have taken up enough of your time. Until next time, Rhode."_

"Yeah." The demigoddess said and snapped her phone closed.

She was upset. All those lives lost weren't worth a means to curb her Fatal Flaw.

It should never be.

* * *

"There you are Miss Evans!" McGonagall called as she flagged Rhode down as the girl was on the way to the Great Hall for lunch. "Why didn't you stay behind after class like I asked you earlier?"

"Because I was hungry?" Rhode replied honestly. It was not like there was anything that the old catlover could say that the demigod would think was worth her while.

"If you had bothered to stay, no nevermind. You see, Evans, during Yule we will be hosting a Ball for the Tri-Wizard. As a champion, you are expected to be there along with a date to lead the opening dance."

 _Is this what Amphitrite was talking about?_ The daughter of the seas pondered.

Rhode showed none of her thoughts, instead choosing to give a dismissive reply. "Why the hell would I attend? And even if I did, why would I need a date?"

McGonagall sputtered indignantly at the response for a moment before giving a truly unsatisfactory reply.

"Because it is tradition, Evans."

Rhode looked over the older woman's shoulder and squinted her eyes, "Do… Do you see that?"

McGonagall turned around curiously, "No, what is it?"

"It's-oh! It's my last "give a damn" flying away." Rhode deadpanned.

So she was supposed to doll herself up and twirl around just so a bunch of people she didn't give two hoots about could ogle at her? Like hell.

"And a date? Seriously? Do you expect me to go up to some guy and ask them to go out with me? Do I look like a skank?"

Before the professor could even speak, her best friend spoke up as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"I'll go with you, Rhode." Su offered, "We can go as friends. That's not against the rules, is it?"

"Not at all, Miss Li." McGonagall informed them with a smile. "It has in fact been done before, I believe. It is generous of you to do so."

Su just offered the Professor a pleasant smile. "I'm happy to help."

"Then I leave the matter of getting Miss Evans to perform her duties as a champion in your trustworthy hands."

"I'll do my best."

Apparently deciding the matter settled, the Professor left.

When she was out of earshot, Rhode turned to her friend. "You didn't need to sacrifice your chance to go to the Ball on a proper date for me, Su."

"As I told the Professor, it's fine." Su told Rhode. She couldn't hide her frown though and Rhode couldn't help feeling bad.

She knew she couldn't talk the daughter of Demeter out of it though. She was always stubborn when it came to helping people.

"Then I'll just need to try my best to make it as fun for you as possible." Rhode informed her friend.

_It's the least I can do._

* * *

It was nice to be back at Camp, even if it was for only half a day. Rhode had been given permission to go home to get a dress for the Yule Ball. Dumbledore was being a little too understanding in her opinion, and she found it awfully suspicious, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in its mouth.

Normally, for a Ball, you'd wear a fancy dress or something. At least that's what she thought the Wizards would do and the dress code required.

Rhode however enjoyed breaking their traditions, especially since she was forced into this.

Looking at the mirror, she flattened her pleated skirt and smiled. Her top consisted of a sleeveless black strapped top, paired with matching ripped up arm sleeves that covered her arms. Her legs were sheathed in a pair of long black leggings with buckled boots covering her feet. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail to finish off the look and she knew she was ready for this _traditional_ Ball.

Sense the sarcasm.

All in all, it was nothing short of punk worthy. She smiled at how much gawking was going to happen once she stepped out onto the dance floor.

Eying Thalia's jacket hanging on a bedpost, Rhode was tempted to slip it on.

 _Thalia would hate it, wouldn't she? Going to a ball of all things._ Rhode mused as she looked at the piece of clothing. _But here I am, doing just that. If Thalia were here I'm sure that she wouldn't given a damn what the wizards said and skipped it regardless. But she isn't and I'm not her._

"I'm sorry Thalia but I can't always do what you'd do." The daughter of the seas told the fabric solemnly, before turning her back on it.

Walking over to her dresser, she picked up the magnificent necklace of glass beads and its aquamarine centrepiece that her godly family had given her. "Amphitrite did ask me to wear this today."

Despite her misgivings about the goddess, she could at least do this small thing for her. Besides, she did say it was for the whole family, didn't she?

Fastening it on, and after brushing her bangs one last time, she was ready.

Heading out of her cabin, she found her friends waiting for her at the central hearth. Not just Lee and Su, mind you but Jack, Fergus and Atlanta too. After hearing about the ball, the trio had decided to gatecrash the event. Emily was there too, giving last minute fashion advice to everyone. She, unfortunately, wouldn't be joining them since she had a Christmas party in the city she was attending later.

Surveying her friends, Rhode admired their choice of outfits.

Su was dressed in a green and black cheongsam with a high slit and flower designs that transformed the girl from cute into smokingly sexy.

A flush came over her at the thought and she quickly shook her head.

Lee looked quite suave in the stylish maroon dress robes that his mum had sent him.

Jack was dressed in a standard tuxedo that he had obviously loaned from the Camp store.

 _The cheapskate._ She thought in amusement. Though she did admit he cleaned up well enough.

Atlanta in contrast had taken the opportunity to splurge and was wearing an expensive looking green shoulderless dress.

"Rhode!" Emily all but screamed as she saw what she was wearing, interrupting Rhode's examination of her friends' choice of formalwear. "What are you wearing?"

"A statement."

"It's a ball! Do you know how disrespectful you're being going dressed like that?"

"Kinda the point, Em."

The daughter of Aphrodite rubbed her eyes, "So you want to disrespect everyone who attends? All your schoolmates too? All of whom _did_ follow the dress code?"

Rhode quirked a brow, "And what does that say about Fergus?"

Said son of Ares had painted one half of his body blue and paired that up with a kilt. And nothing else.

"Fergus is a gatecrasher, he doesn't count. You're a competitor and supposed to lead the opening dance!"

"And he's a fashion nightmare." Atlanta said with a teasing smile towards her boyfriend.

"Wha can I say? I love me the classics. Besides I'm dressed 'For the homeland!'"

Everyone just rolled their eyes at his antics.

"If I wasn't going to a holiday party in the city, I swear." The child of doves sighed, "Please tell me this is a one time thing?"

"It's a one time thing." Rhode assured the older girl.

"Ugh, when you get back this summer we are adding to your wardrobe. You owe me that much for this-this nightmare!"

"I like it." Gaige said as she sipped from her hot cocoa.

"Gaige-y, shush."

"It is not appropriate for the function however, Creator." Penny said adding her two cents.

"Whose side are you on?" Gaige pouted at her creation, "Rebels without a cause are hot."

"Creator Two's of course. She has the best cookies." The robotic girl said while wrapping the aforementioned daughter of love in a hug.

"Gaige, Penny, you sure you two don't want to come?" Rhode asked the tinkerer and her daughter.

"Chiron's disapproving enough as is with just us coming." Atlanta said as she smoothed her dress. "At least Mr. D gave us the go ahead… For whatever reason."

As if speaking of the ancient centaur had summoned him, he trotted over with Annabeth trailing behind him.

"I see you lot are insistent on going through with this." Chiron observed with a frown.

The demigods shuffled uneasily at their mentor's clear unhappiness at their plan.

"Rhode, it's not too late to change our plans." Lee said at last. "You know this could get us in a lot of trouble."

"Don't be such a party pooper, Lee. It'll be fine." The punk dressed girl brushed off his concern.

"I'm with Rhode here, Lee." Su said, crossing her arms and looking at the son of Hermes with a mild glare. "After all the stress she has been under lately, she deserves a chance to have some fun."

"Because of course you would agree with her." Lee grumbled and rolled his eyes.

"Rhode, you sure about this?" Annabeth asked as she came over.

The blonde was staying too, even though Rhode had tried hard to get her to come along. She'd said no and stuck by that decision, claiming that she understood why Chiron was disapproving and that she agreed with his opinion. The daughter of the seas was sad to hear that, she'd wanted the chance to spend some time with the girl.

They'd reconciled their differences from earlier in the year. In fact, as soon as Rhode had returned, Annabeth had rushed her with a hug and apologized repeatedly for being a brat. It had taken the daughter of the seas several minutes to calm her little friend down while assuring her that it was fine. But they'd not had much time to spend together since then and now the perfect opportunity to do so was being wasted.

Rhode couldn't help but be bummed.

Annabeth gave her a hug once more and said, "Hope you have fun tonight."

"I will." Rhode smiled and patted the blonde on the head fondly. Once she let go, Rhode headed to the hearth as its flames turned green.

"Stay safe, children." Chiron said with a frown on his face.

"Bye guys, don't do what I'd do!"

"Gaige-y!? What kind of goodbye is that?"

The daughter of Hephaestus looked sheepish, "An honest one?"

"Ugh!" Emily pulled at her hair.

"Creator Two, your blood pressure is rising. Is something the matter?" Penny fretted.

Giggling at the antics of Penny and her two mothers, Rhode stepped into the green flames of the hearth.

* * *

As the group of demigods entered Hogwarts, they walked towards the Great Hall only to find the corridors were practically empty. It looked like everyone was either in the dorms - the younger years too young to attend the Ball - or clustered around the vestibule to the Great Hall waiting eagerly for the main event of the night to begin.

Feeling in the mood for some music, Rhode began to sing.

"Looking out a dirty old window.

Down below the cars in the city go rushing by.

I sit here alone and I wonder why."

Rhode swayed her hips as she sung.

"Friday night and everyone's moving

I can feel the heat but it's soothing, heading down

I search for the beat in this dirty town (downtown)

The young ones are going

(Downtown) the young ones are growing

Rhode pumped her fist in the air, "We're the kids in America, whoa!

We're the kids in America, whoa!

Everybody live for the music-go-round!"

"Man you are just milking this rebel without a cause thing, aren't you?" Lee asked with a twinge of amusement.

"Without question." Rhode smirked back at him.

"Don't encourage her." Atlanta said with a frown. "She's behaving badly enough as is."

"With all the crap they dump on her, I say let the lass have her fun." Fergus chuckled.

"Incorrigible. Both of you."

"Lighten up, Atlanta." Jack added his two cents.

"Someone has to chaperone you lot of miscreants."

Su smiled at her as she locked arms with Rhode, "I'll keep an eye on this one. It is my job for the night."

Jack shot Su a challenging look at that but a smile from Rhode had him blushing and backing off.

Deciding the situation was defused, Rhode continue singing.

"Bright lights, the music gets faster

Look, boy, don't check on your watch, not another glance

I'm not leaving now, honey, not a chance

Hot-shot, give me no problems

Much later, baby, you'll be saying nevermind

You know life is cruel, life is never kind (kind hearts)

Don't make a new story

(Kind hearts) don't grab any glory

We're the…"

Just then the demigods crossed the threshold into the crowded vestibule outside the Great Hall.

"Huh?"

Rhode ended the song in surprise as she noticed that for some reason everyone all around them were standing frozen like statues.

"Is this normal?" Jack asked nervously as he surveyed the unnaturally still crowd.

"Maybe they're trippin balls? Someone spiked the punch bowl?" Fergus rubbed his chin.

"We aren't even inside yet." His girlfriend told him.

"Whiskey flask?"

"Miss Evans, what do you think you're doing?" Audrey demanded as she and Banagher stalked over. The two were in a matching ensemble of a beautiful black Empire cut dress and a black tuxedo.

Rhode gulped and hoped that her Occlumency barriers held. After her last run in with the psychics, the daughter of Poseidon had consulted with Chiron about learning some defense against mind readers. After some checking on his part, the centaur had recommended she learn the wizarding art of Occlumency.

As her luck would have it, Professor Snape happened to be a master and was happy to include it into their training regime. Since then, she'd made good progress. So much so that he'd actually said that she was decent for a beginner which was high praise from him. She didn't know how that would measure up against psychics though.

She wasn't looking forward to putting it to the test either.

Eying the two psychics however it looked like she didn't have a choice in the matter, Banagher was frowning as Audrey had the looking of a scolding mother.

"We told you not to cross any lines, Miss Evans. This kind of stunt is exactly what we were talking about."

"How is inviting some friends to visit my school crossing a line? Maybe by normal rules, but yours too?"

Audrey shook her head, "There are treaties in place that keep the supernatural worlds, the Wizarding World included, as separate as possible. In this case, only demigods born with magic, such as yourselves," She pointed to the Hogwarts demigods, "are allowed free entry."

"We usually let it go if it's low profile, but gatecrashing a once in a generation event?" The married man sighed, "That's not exactly low-key."

All the demigods shifted nervously at this. They all knew who the two psychics were. Rhode had informed them when she'd first invited them to Hogwarts. As such, they knew full well just how dangerous these two people were.

"And how were we supposed to know the rules exactly? We don't have them written down or anything. Can we please get a copy of it later or something so this doesn't happen again?"

"Your teacher was supposed to inform you." Audrey said with a frown. "I believe in your case, this would be the centaur Chiron?"

"That lousy- Mr. D screwed us just for his shits and giggles." Fergus gnashed his teeth, crossing her arms over his broad chest.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Ever since he'd discovered the circumstances of his birth, he'd become very sensitive about gods manipulating them.

"Why else would tha ol' drunk give us permission? He hoped we'd get blasted or something." The son of Ares grunted.

Audrey frowned at her husband and he nodded.

"Yes, that fits his pattern of behavior. I think a punishment is in order. Hmm… How about we redirect his share of worship from the Ball to Soma instead."

Audrey nodded. "They hate each other. Fitting."

_Shu-ma? Who's that?_

"Now what to do with these children?" Banagher asked, gesturing to the demigods.

"I say we be kind and give them one dance before sending them on their way."

"Whatever you say, dear." Banagher said with a shrug.

"Uh, thanks?" Rhode said, that was cool of them.

At least this wouldn't be a total wash.

* * *

The Yule Ball was over and Rhode was walking Su back to Ravenclaw Tower. Her friend was feeling a little too tired to head back to Camp, and had decided instead to spend the night at Hogwarts instead.

 _The Ball was surprisingly fun._ Rhode mused to herself as she walked alongside her friend through the quiet corridors of the castle.

Glancing towards Su, Rhode recalled the opening dance she'd shared with the other girl that the organizers had demanded. _I still can't believe it was the_ muggleborn _of all people that were giving us odd looks. Then again the mundanes do tend to be prudes about homosexuality._

In spite of her expectations, that opening dance hadn't been that bad. In contrast the dinner with the judges and the rest of the Champions that followed was terrible. Even though all the Champions had dates from Ravenclaw, they were all pretty boring.

 _They didn't even make one joke about that, they were that bad. Seriously, Krum's date was as quiet as a mouse. Fleur's was too busy drooling over her. Cedric even brought that snobbish Cho. I think it's fair to say that Su was the most interesting person at the table._ Rhode smiled at her friend.

"What?" Su asked, having caught her grin.

"Just thinking about dinner and how you were the most fun person there."

The Chinese girl smiled back. "True. It wasn't all bad though. You did have a good time making fun of the judges about the Slytherin Task and how you aren't going to bother with it."

Su sounded a bit apprehensive about it, but Rhode shrugged.

"It's not like I care about the competition. As long as I get out of it alive, I'll take last place. I'm not about to waste my time doing all those stupid minor tasks over some worthless points."

"Surviving does matter most," Su agreed with a nod.

"Their faces when I told them that were kinda worth it though." Rhode laughed as she recalled the sputtering and shocked looks that most of the judges and Champions gave her. The best reaction had to have been Dumbledore's! The old man had just seemed resigned. Looks like he'd finally learned that he couldn't do anything to control her.

_Victory is sweet!_

"At least you had fun, with Jack." Su's smile seemed to become a little forced as she said that, but maybe it was a trick of the dim light of the corridor.

Rhode didn't give the matter much thought, instead choosing to recall the wonderful dance she shared with the boy.

**~ Flashback ~**

After the evening meal was complete, the dance floor was reopened and began to fill with couples as some terrible band began to play.

Rhode looked at Su and apologetically asked, "Mind if I grab my other dance partner?"

Su almost seemed to be pouting but agreed nonetheless.

The daughter of Poseidon shot her a thankful smile and walked over to the sidelines.

With her hands on her hips, the brunette smiled at Jack.

"Hey Snowflake."

"Uh, hey Rhode." He smiled back, looking nervous. Was it the event that had him nervous? Maybe it was too soon for him? Was it her? A hundred silly little things made butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but Rhode steeled her nerves the best she could. She was here and so was Jack, so the daughter of Poseidon was going to make the best of it.

"Wanna dance?" The girl in the punk outfit held out her hand, trying her best to hide her own nervousness. This was her first Ball and the first time she asked someone to dance with her, and her bravado wasn't enough to make up for all that.

Jack turned to look at where Atlanta and Fergus had been sitting, but the couple had already hit the dance floor and were having a blast doing the tango. Nevermind that the slow song was totally not suited for it.

Jack swallowed whatever nerves he had and nodded, "Sure."

Rhode's smile was wide at that, a sense of relief washing over at hearing his answer.

He took her hand and the two went to the dance floor. She tensed a little as one of his hands landed on her shoulders, but she did the same as they began to slow step to the beat of the terrible band that the school picked.

Mid-way through the song, Jack shot her a smirk and let go of her shoulder to hold his hand up towards the roof. A icy blue light formed in his palm and he tossed it into the air. The snow-light lit up the dance floor as beautiful snowflakes gently fluttered around the room adding a romantic flair.

Rhode's eyes lit up at seeing the sight and smiled at Jack, who returned it.

As their dance came to an end, Rhode's sea green eyes widened when he suddenly slipped into her personal space and pressed his cool lips onto hers. She didn't resist however and instead let her eyes flutter shut as she returned the kiss, enjoying the taste of wintermint.

"Wow!" Jack said breathlessly as they broke the kiss.

"Yeah." Rhode said less enthusiastically. The kiss was nice and all, but it wasn't all _that_ fantastic. She had been expecting more. It didn't feel any different from that one accidental kiss they'd shared during the summer. Maybe she was just setting the bar too high?

After all, it was still a good kiss, at least by her limited experience, and she had a fun time dancing with him.

**~ Flashback Ends ~**

"I did." Rhode said with a soft smile. "I just hope everyone else had as much fun."

"I'm sure they did." Su assured her. "Fergus and Atlanta were laughing like no tomorrow when they left."

"I think that had more to do with Lee and Angelina Johnson trying to imitate their tango but ending up on their butts instead."

Su giggled at the memory. "It was their own fault for trying such a low dip. Besides they laughed it off, so they didn't mind either."

"Yeah, everyone was having fun huh?" Rhode mused wistfully. "It was a shame they all had to head back to Camp after only one dance."

"True, though I think not starting a war with that mysterious Organization that Audrey and Banagher work for is worth them cutting their night short."

Rhode recalled how scary Banagher got when he'd attacked her that one time and nodded. She might have been able to take him, but she couldn't be sure. Not when she had no clue what the full extent of his abilities were. What he'd demonstrated already were impressive enough that Rhode was wary of going another round with him. And that was what one psychic was capable of, what could a whole load of them do? And that's not even considering what the gods would say about picking a fight they, most of them at least, obviously wanted to avoid?

Shaking her head, Rhode changed the topic. "So how did you like the dancing?"

"It was wonderful. What about you? I hope our second dance was… enjoyable." Su said with an airy tone as she turned the question back on Rhode.

The taller brunette's face burned hot at the memory. When Su had asked to dance after their friends had left, Rhode assumed it was because she was trying to get away from the boys. She had seen many of them leering at her friend and it had bothered her somewhat. So it was only natural that she would help the Chinese girl out and accept her invitation. At least, in the crush of bodies on the dance floor, there wouldn't be so much unwanted attention.

What happened next was something she'd never expected. Not out of her usually so straightlaced friend. They had joined the dance floor during one of the more clubbish dance - at least that's what Emily had told her they were called - and Su seemed to like it. A lot. She started dancing like Rhode had never seen anyone dance before. On more than one occasion, she'd even practically ground herself against her. The mere thought of that set Rhode's face ablaze once more as she was inadvertently reminded of the feel of Su's soft hands tracing her body and the sly yet _s-s-seductive_ look in those soil black eyes as she looked at her.

Rhode furiously shook her head, trying to tame her blush as best as she could. Even then her cheeks tinged pink.

"I-It was alright." Rhode answered, her pitch a touch higher than usual.

 _I'm sure Su didn't mean anything by it. She probably got caught up in the mood and forgot I wasn't her crush. Or something. Yeah… That's gotta be it._ Rhode thought to herself, even as she ignored - for her sanity - the satisfied look Su sported at her blush.

"The Ball was a lot of fun though, right?" Su asked with a giggle.

One that Rhode matched, "Yeah, never experienced something like that before."

"So we're here." Su sadly said as they came to a stop in front of the eagle shaped bronze knocker that served as the dorm's guardian.

"Huh?" Rhode looked surprised that they had arrived so quickly. And also a little disappointed.

The Ravenclaw answered the riddle for her entrance with ease, making Rhode crack a smile.

Before Su entered though she turned around and stunned the daughter of Poseidon.

Leaning up on her tiptoes, she pressed their lips together.

To Rhode it felt like an eternity as she luxuriated in the feel of the smaller girl's plum flavoured lips. When the liplock finally broke, the taller girl staggered back in surprise.

"W-what was that?" Rhode stammered, as she struggled to process what had just happened.

"Didn't you know that it's tradition to reward a great date with a good night kiss." Su said with a playful smirk, her delicate fingers brushing her lips.

 _So it's a joke, right? A play on that tradition?_ Rhode thought to herself, even as she mutely nodded.

"Good night, Rhode." Su said as she walked into her common room while wearing a pleased smile.

"Night." Rhode replied distractedly, still too busy puzzling out what had happened to give a more eloquent response.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Whoo, thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> Now we got a lot of fluff and shipping done in this chapter right? That's right people, board your ships. Fight for my amusement! Mwahahaha! Oh, it can go either with Evanfrost or Rhu, but I'll never tell. Still, who was surprised by the aggressors? I can tell you Rhode was stunned by the actions.
> 
> Nameless: I hope you guys like our attempt at a love triangle. It's our first time legitimately trying it out, so feedback would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> On another note, we had plenty of reviews commenting that the First Task was underwhelming. That was the whole point. The Tournament isn't really a big deal to Rhode in any way and nothing in it will really force her to change her mind. Why then focus on it all? Well, there's a purpose to it. You'll just need to read and see if you can figure it out.
> 
> E4E: And now onto the other part of the chapter, mainly the Espers/Newtypes/Psychics. I like how we are involving the actual governments into the WW, because we all know like hell they deserve free reign.
> 
> Nameless: Top tier Newtypes are a surprisingly scary bunch even in a world where gods exist. All we tweaked from their canon powers was ease of use and the ability to summon funnels [which here is magitech and so totally can operate in a planet's gravity well]. Something else to consider before calling the mundanes/the Organization OP, Newtypes can be artificially produced i.e. mass produced. Furthermore, we never said they're the only type of supernaturals that the mundanes have in their employ. Also, note the many references to other Gundam characters during the discussion. Will that mean more Gundam expys will show up? Well, wait and see.
> 
> Well, you know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	9. My Life is Thriller

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Nine: My Life is Thriller**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Lucius Malfoy walked down the halls of his ancestral home, unable to help the shiver that went down his spine. In the months since he had opened his home to his master's use, the once stately manor had been transformed.

Much of that had to do with the 'guests' that his master had ordered him to host. Many Death Eaters now resided in Malfoy Manor. All dirt poor and uncouth, they had flocked to his house in droves ever since he had started discretely reaching out to them. However, as repulsive as some of them could be they were not the worst of the new residents of the estate.

That honor went to the ever growing number of Living Dead that had overrun his ancestral seat and turned it into a veritable necropolis. Vampires now lurked around every corner, while packs of Inferi wandered the halls aimlessly. Lucius would even swear that among those shambling animated corpses were the odd Zombie, though how these American monsters had made their way into his home was a mystery. Even his prized grounds were not spared, as they had been taken over by armies of animated skeletons who had turned them into a massive graveyard which they patrolled zealously against intruders. As if that wasn't bad enough, spirits of all types be they ghosts, poltergeists or wraiths now haunted his halls.

However, most distressing of all were the coven of Banshees that had taken over his own attic. At least they weren't Living Dead, but they were terrifying nonetheless. Though after observing how they got along with the other undead monstrosities, Lucius was of the opinion that the Ministry had made a huge mistake in their classification.

His wife, his lovely Narcissa had long since left for one of their vacation homes out of sheer fright. Not that he blamed her, but the resentment in her eyes stung deeply.

What was he supposed to do? Deny their Master? She knew very well that doing so was a death sentence not only for himself but their whole family.

 _And yet she left me to suffer here alone._ The Malfoy lord thought to himself miserably.

Passing a window, he gazed out at his destroyed gardens and the throng of skeletons working to dig ever more graves and build more ossuaries. Beyond them was the dome of dark green magic that now surrounded Malfoy Manor, a result of one of the many additions to its wards that his master had graciously installed.

 _And probably what's keeping the Ministry from figuring out what has happened here._ Lucius concluded, with mixed feelings. _I wonder if that's a good thing?_

He steeled his nerves and proceeded into his basement.

After opening the door, a wave of cold hit him and he began the descent into what had once been a fair wine cellar and storage area. Now it had been greatly expanded into a catacomb filled with countless tombs and niches that housed a growing number of ever more exotic Living Dead and which wound its way through the earth for miles.

Frightfully it was still growing as the strange undead giants known as the Rom that had answered his master's call to service worked tirelessly. They had converted the old cellar into a single massive central ever deepening shaft from which their seemingly endless tunnels branched.

Running along the side of this shaft were a set of stairs newly hewn into the bedrock. Steeling himself, he continued the climb down into the heart of this growing city of the dead. Following the pull of his Dark Mark, he navigated the labyrinthine tunnels until he found himself inside an elaborate throne room decorated in black marble. Along the walls hung banners made of human flesh while furniture crafted from human bone dotted the room. And at the end of the cathedral sized chamber, there was a throne of bone that gave out a palpable sense of agony from the many souls of his Master's enemies bound to it. Upon this macabre seat, was the hidden visage of his liege with only his glowing green eyes balefully piercing through the darkness that enshrouded him.

He was thankful for the lack of lighting cast by the handful of braziers of green fire that served as the room's only lighting, because viewing his Master's current form was something that never failed to strike terror within him.

"Master, you called for me?"

"Yes," His voice rasped, "how fares our plans with the Potter girl?"

Swallowing heavily, Lucius nervously gave his report. "She is providing the distraction we'd hoped. Dumbledore and the Ministry are focusing all their efforts on finding out who is targeting her and keeping her safe thus ensuring that the rest of the plan is going completely undetected."

"Good. It would seem Macnair's son has earned their family a reward. Lucius, make it happen." Lucius nodded, even as his master continued speaking. "How goes our other efforts?"

"According to schedule. The ghosts are working tirelessly but progress is slo-"

"Of course it is. We wouldn't want to tip Dumbledore off before we can present him our surprise, now do we?" Voldemort said with a raspy chuckle that echoed through the catacombs.

"Of course not, My Lord."

"Very good. See that everything continues to proceed as planned. You don't want to fail me."

Eerily glowing eyes shifted to the side as a circle of green light revealed the figure of an impaled Barty Crouch Junior. His face was ashen and his eyes red, at their Master's order the man had been turned into a vampire. That was no reward however, merely a means to allow him to be punished indefinitely as his vampiric constitution and nigh immortality made it almost impossible for him to die. A fate that by this point, Lucius was sure he dearly wished he would be allowed.

The poor man's latest torture, in a line of many Lucius was sure, had him impaled while he was wrapped in barbed wire. Suddenly, the familiar flash of light that signified a Crucio flew across the room. The pain curse struck the hapless vampire and caused him to writhe in agony which only led to the wire biting deeper into his flesh and the pike he was impaled on wounding him more deeply.

 _Poor fellow._ Lucius said as he watched in sympathy as his Master began to cast a host of random spells at Crouch, ranging from the mundane tickling charm to more Crucios, all of which had the effect of having the vampire hurt himself further on his restraints. _All he's guilty of was trying to remind the world that our movement still lived during the Quidditch World Cup._

The only problem with that was that it was completely counter to his Master's plans to build up his strength in secret. Worse, it was a mistake that Voldemort had risked his own exposure to rectify. Thus, in the Dark Lord's eyes, Crouch had committed the grave crimes of thinking himself smarter than the Master, getting in the way of his plans and making their lord clean up the mess he created when he was still just a vulnerable specter. Each and every one an offense punishable with death and which combined had earned him his terrible fate.

"I hope, Lucius, that this little reminder of what awaits if you fail has been a suitable motivator?"

Gulping once more, Lucius nodded. He didn't want to suffer the same fate as the tortured man.

All he could do was obey.

* * *

The day after the Ball, found a furious Rhode slamming the latest issue of the Daily Prophet onto the Gryffindor Table.

"The Skeeter article?" Su asked as she came over from the Ravenclaw table.

"Yup." Lee confirmed, as he picked up the paper to show the page Rhode had last been on and the headline for Skeeter's latest hit piece.

"The damn woman is calling me some two-timer for kissing Jack and then, and I'm quoting her here, 'dirty dancing' with Su!"

The hag even had blown up photos of both! They weren't even nice photos mind you. They were all from crappy angles and had horrible lightning that made everyone look terrible.

She glanced to the side to see Su sporting a cute blush as she watched her own actions from the dance. The sight almost, but not quite, made the stupid article worth it.

Sadly, the worse thing was that Skeeter had promised that this was only the first in a whole slew of articles discussing Rhode's life. _Or more accurately making stuff up!_

Apparently she was getting insider information from Rhode's 'best friends' Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. With sources like that, what could go wrong?

"I wish I could burn every single copy of this paper" Rhode said as she glared at the paper, wishing it would combust.

"I-I'm sure it will be fine." Su assured her.

The daughter of Poseidon looked at her best friend dubiously, "My mail says otherwise."

She had been forced to ask Chiron to help arrange for a special mail diversion. Ever since Skeeter had started slandering her through the Daily Prophet, she had been swarmed by owls during mail time. All full of hate mail from sheep who believed the hack's every word.

Su's assured look faltered at that as Rhode knew she had gotten her own fair share of disturbing mail. Just for being her friend. She could only imagine, and the daughter of Demeter probably could too, what kind of mail she'd be getting after Skeeter's latest article.

"It's to be expected really, the Prophet has been nothing but a tabloid for a long time. It's fallen far from grace and has been publishing trash ever since. No one important will take it seriously."

Lee released a snort of laughter.

"You only think that because Skeeter's article gave you plenty of new pictures of Rhode to add to your collection."

"For a photo album!" Su added in a panic, "And it's not as if it is a big one o-or anything!"

Rhode offered a teasing smile and said, "I guess I'm just camera shy."

* * *

Rhode could not believe what the Second Task was.

It was utterly ridiculous.

About a hundred feet over Black Lake, the four Champions had been sealed inside a giant cube. At first she thought it was some kind of 'There could only be one' type deal, but that wasn't the case.

Instead, they were informed that it was a puzzle. It was some kind of giant puzzle box that they had to solve to escape.

Rhode couldn't help but find it to be dumb.

All four Champions started out inside the central chamber of the cube, where there was a door on each side. Each of which led to different rooms with an entirely different set of glyphs and runes on the walls. Some of which matched the symbols in the center room, so they were probably to use them as a means to escape.

From what little she knew, Rhode figured that the whole thing was a tesseract. She had drawn a few before, but to be inside of one? It was an utterly different experience.

The rules had been simple. The fastest to escape received the most points. You could not attack another Champion, though messing around with another Champion was allowed. They had a whole day to escape.

It was actually quite a fitting representation of what Ravenclaw stood for. It was a Task that challenged intelligence, subterfuge, and wit.

To Rhode, there wasn't a single life threatening thing going on and that was fine by her!

While solving the puzzle might be fun for some, Rhode found it to be tedious.

However, Su had been rather interested when the Task was announced. So, being the good friend she was, Rhode had promised to follow the other Champions around, using her phone to record their progress so as to give her details that the daughter of agriculture could use to solve the the tesseract on her own as well.

Cedric had been her first target for this action.

He had entered the rightmost room, where runes and glyphs were glowing along the wall. Rhode recognized a few, some Norse, some Egyptian, and some Greek as well.

"Cold." She offered as a clue as he looked at a reversed Norse rune for Life. He was the proper Hogwarts Champion after all, and it was only right for her to offer her moral support.

He twitched at that, switching to look at the Greek symbol of Hephaestus, Eta, "Cold."

He glared at her over his shoulder and looked at an Egyptian hieroglyph for Travel, "Warm."

Cedric seemed to smile at that as he looked over to an adjacent Roman rune for Mars.

"Very cold."

"Will you stop that!" He snapped at her. He marched up to her and said, "Why don't you get lost!"

"Can't, kinda locked in here like an animal."

He pulled at his hair, "Listen, just because you don't care about this Tournament, doesn't mean I don't! My future rides on a good performance here, so stop distracting me."

Rhode looked stunned by this and looked down. For the first, despite her misgivings of this Tournament, she could see it from the other Champions' perfective. To them, this event was larger than life and could leave a mark on their future. While Krum was already a Quidditch superstar, Cedric and Delacour needed this more than either he or Rhode. She had known this of course, but never really truly appreciated it until Cedric's reaction.

"Hey, Cedric, I'm-" Just as she was about to apologize, the tesseract shifted and the demigod turned to see that the blonde was gone, "Looks like Delacour is done."

As the runes on the walls changed to new ones, Cedric sighed and glared at her, "Now I have to start all over again. Why don't you go bother Krum."

"Like I was going to say, I'm sorry." She told him sincerely, "Good luck and keep an eye on icons of travel."

"Don't you think I know that?" Cedric snapped irritably. "Just get lost, dammit!"

She turned around and headed towards the adjacent room, "Yeah, go Team Hogwarts."

Cedric didn't respond and she hoped he'd listen to her on that front at least. She wasn't the best at magic, but she knew runes well enough.

"Hey! Krum! You even lift?!"

For the next twenty minutes, the daughter of Poseidon did her best to aggravate the Bulgarian Champion to the breaking point.

When she had asked, for his fangirls' sake, if he was a boxers of briefs man, he snapped at her and cast a Silencio on her.

Even muted, she just cheekily waved at him as he was transported out of the tesseract. Since it didn't reset, Rhode was pretty sure his spell counted as an attack and got him disqualified.

A few minutes later, Cedric followed a trail of runes into the room and she flashed him a thumbs up. One which he returned as he continued going over different symbols.

At least the Hufflepuff didn't look so irate with her now.

The pretty boy spent another couple minutes checking the runes before he raced back into the center of the tesseract. After using his wand to draw in the symbols he collected, he was teleported out. The puzzle cube shifted once more, with the symbols reordering themselves into new patterns along the walls.

With all the Champions out of the way, Rhode fished out a book that Su had recommended to read while she waited until the idiot judges decided to let her out.

"Lord of the Rings, huh?" Rhode mused aloud as she flipped open the book. "I wonder what the villain is like."

* * *

The day after the Second Task had concluded, the demigod trio of Hogwarts gathered in the Room of Requirement.

In the end, Rhode had waited until the assigned time had ended and the judges had let her out. Even if she could have figured her way out, Rhode wasn't interested in playing their little game and had been more than willing to waste an entire day inside the tesseract to illustrate that point.

 _That girl and her statements._ Lee thought to himself with an amused smile. If it were him, he'd have jumped at the chance to win the fame and glory that winning the Triwizard would afford him. He couldn't help but sigh at his own short-sightedness at not trying to participate. _It's not like the Tasks are even difficult._

Choosing to gripe about that to himself might seem a little selfish when he was supposedly spending time with his friends, but honestly it was not like they even noticed he was there. In fact, he felt like a third wheel in the Room. He had been feeling that a lot as of late. While he sat in his own chair, Rhode and Su were seated on the same couch and were cuddling as they both looked over the videos Rhode shot of the interior of the tesseract.

There was no other way to call it. And he could tell Su was milking the opportunity for all it was worth and pressing herself as close to Rhode as the situation allowed.

"You recorded so little, Rhode." Su said, sounding disappointed, "You spent more time trailing Cedric and messing around with Krum."

Rhode shrugged, "I was trying to help Cedric more. I think he deserves to win this."

"That's just because you like him better than the others." Lee pointed out. "Anyways, he's got a snowball's chance in hell after his showing in the First Task. He's too far behind in the points."

"Psh, duh. The other two are pompous asses if I'm being honest."

Su giggled, mirth in her eyes, "Aren't you always?"

"I think she's just blunt." Lee said as he laid back in his chair more as he watched the poor quality video. The footage was grainy and unclear, which of course conveniently totally warranted Su snuggling up to Rhode so she could get a closer look.

"I think she handled Krum appropriately. He's gotten no points whatsoever for breaking the rules. Hehe, even you at least got some points staying in there the full day."

"You know I don't care about the points, Su." Rhode sighed as she sank into the couch further. "Plus, it was amazingly easy. A dude like that has to have some kind of a temper after all."

Su squinted her eyes as she continued to look at the video more.

"Hey, you can look later. I got a lesson with Snape to get to." Rhode said, standing up.

Su pouted at this, but didn't press further as the taller girl left her side.

"Have fun."

Rhode smirked at the two and Lee could only shake his head.

Only the daughter of Poseidon could find it fun to hangout with Snape.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> Now, that was a heck of a chapter huh? I bet a few of you were hoping for the original second task, but that'd be boring for Rhode and us since she would have dominated it. And that's just not fun writing. The tesseract actually came from me due to my GM tossing it at my group during our Pathfinder game. So I thought why not toss it in for the hell of it. Since Rhode didn't truly try in this task, we couldn't show the whole thing, but I felt we showed enough of it.
> 
> Oh yeah, and the undead/living dead/monster army Voldie is raising. Nameless, take it away.
> 
> Nameless: Random lore time.
> 
> Living Dead is the term Wizards in the Rowlingverse use to classify undead
> 
> With the exceptions of the animated skeletons, wraiths and Rom, all undead mentioned in the first scene are canon to the Rowlingverse.
> 
> The Rom are a type of undead giant from Forgotten Realms. Found them from a random google search for subterranean undead.
> 
> The main villain of the Lord of the Rings is a particular type of creature. Think generically, not specifically to his setting. That is foreshadowing for what we'll be having Voldemort show up as in the culmination of this arc.
> 
> And of course, Su got her cuddle time. One more point for Rhu.
> 
> Nameless: That girl is damn sneaky. Jack better watch out or he'll lose the girl before he knows it.
> 
> A point has been a repeatedly raised in reviews to pair Rhode with a god. Well, that's not going to happen and this is why: The first time the mortal disrespects the god, and as a modern person who doesn't pay true deference to them unlike the ancients this is bound to happen at some point, the god will take offence. And we all know how terrible that can get for the mortal. Worse? Divorce isn't a thing for gods. So... Hello, abusive inescapable relationship. And even if the mortal is given godhood, they'd still at best be a minor god and we know how they're treated, so no full escape there either. It might give the former mortal some options but will ultimately still mean a dysfunctional marriage. That's not the ending we want for Rhode.
> 
> The only two ways pairing with a god would work are:
> 
> A temporary thing. Being a god's lady of the month would work since the impermanence would protect Rhode from the god's wrath when she ultimately offends him. He'd at worst punish her once and leave her. Something the gods have done many times before
> 
> We make the gods wildly OOC. In the Riordanverse, the gods are basically unchanged in attitude and patterns of behaviour from their portrayal in classical myth i.e. egocentric, self-righteous, narcissistic, etc. They just put on a thin veneer of modernity, but fundamentally they have not changed. At least, this is the interpretation of canon we are working on. Thus to make a god a viable pairing choice for Rhode (i.e. someone who can give her a happy ending) would require making him OOC. Since we're writing with the aim of remaining as canon complaint as we can, this is something we roundly reject.
> 
> So that's why we didn't pair Rhode with a god. And will not do so for any of our MCs. You may disagree with our reasoning, if so please review and we'll debate the issue. That said, we've already finalized our pairings so don't hold out hope for a pairing with a god. It isn't in the cards.
> 
> Lastly, there is the talk about pairing Rhode with Thalia. Frankly, that's kinda creepy as they mutually identify as sisters, so them getting into a romantic relationship is basically incest. Before you argue that Su and Rhode have the same kind of relationship, we ask where we make that anywhere as set in stone like we did with Thalia? At best, we implied it.
> 
> Tl;dr Rhode will not be paired with a god or Thalia.
> 
> So stop spamming the reviews pressing for it.
> 
> Another thing about the pairing issue, is the supposed lack of chemistry between Rhode and Su. (Axios: Something that isn't true at all. The chemistry just isn't always so blatant. Trust me. I watch them write this stuff) Considering this was hardly a consistent opinion in the reviews, we can't really agree with it. That said, all we'll say is that chemistry between couples can take many different forms. Including the more quiet camaraderie between Rhode and Su. So arguing that you think Su has no chemistry with Rhode isn't valid.
> 
> E4E: Man, glad we got that all out of the way. I am always up for a ship war, but some ships… just do not sail at all. At least in my tastes.
> 
> Anyways, you know what to do, smash that review button and tell us what you love. No flames and peace off my peeps!


	10. I Dig to Hades

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Ten: I Dig to Hades**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

It was the day of the Third Task and as Rhode ate her breakfast, she couldn't stifle her sense of anticipation. She'd heard from Snape that as part of the program, the organizers had arranged for visits from the Champions' families. After hearing that the demigoddess couldn't help but eagerly await visitors from Camp.

 _Maybe Triton, or even Dad, might be able to visit._ Rhode thought to herself hopefully, even as she knew how unlikely that was. Between how busy they were and the need to avoid the prying eyes of the other gods, they'd need to keep their visits to a minimum. Despite that, she still held out hope.

"Evans," McGonagall called to her as the meal wound down. "Go through the side door please. Your guest is waiting for you there."

 _Guest? Only one?_ Rhode's heart raced at that. _Maybe it is Dad! He'd make sure no one else came along so they couldn't rat him out to the other gods._

More eager than she had been for anything else to do with this stupid tournament, the daughter of the seas hurried through the side door into the room beyond.

Standing there waiting for her with a broad grin was Jack. And no one else.

Rhode's heart sunk like a stone at the sight of him. It was not that she wasn't happy to see him. She was thrilled, but he wasn't her dad. And for that one foolish moment, she'd actually thought Poseidon had come to visit. To find out he hadn't, was a crushing disappointment.

"Heya Rhode!" Jack greeted her cheerfully.

His cheer pushed away some of her disappointment though, so she still found herself smiling.

"Heya Jack." The brunette walked up to him, he looked like he had gotten even taller than before. She stood by him and asked, "So Luke and Annabeth?"

"Wanted to come, but Camp can't afford it." Jack explained, his smile falling from his face to be replaced with a worried frown. "It was attacked recently by a swarm of Ophies Amphipterôtoi and their Cabins need their Head Counselors. Chiron insisted."

"Those are winged serpents aren't they?"

Jack nodded.

"They're nasty?"

"Like you would not believe. I mean, what has poisonous pee? It's ridiculous! Not to mention they only attack at night. The Cleaning Harpies are going psycho about them. They can't stop complaining about having to scrub all the cabins clean every day."

He took her hand into his and Rhode's heart fluttered a bit at their closeness.

"So Annabeth finally got reinstated as Head Counselor?" The daughter of the seas asked, she'd thought it was a given after the quest to Gringotts but Chiron had decided to wait a little longer.

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "Taylor got injured in an attack and Annabeth stepped up to take charge. Chiron was impressed. It's on a trial basis for now, but mainly just to stand-in for Taylor."

Rhode frowned, that seemed unfair to Annabeth.

"As much as I hate Chiron, I think he's being fair here." Jack conceded. A major feat considering the bad blood between him and the centaur lately. "Taylor will be going to college soon so it's not right to strip him of his rank just before he heads off. Better to just have him serve until he leaves."

"He might be a bit of a nerd, but he's taken charge in his own soft-spoken way whenever it was needed," Rhode agreed as they walked out of the castle towards the expansive Hogwarts grounds.

They walked by Su and Lee as they were heading out and the son of Hermes gave them a wave which both she and Jack returned. Su was frowning at them and Rhode wondered what had got her upset, but by the look of the comforting hand that Lee had on her shoulder, their older friend had things under control.

Trusting in Lee, Rhode decided to focus on spending time with Jack.

"You didn't really talk about it, so what's this tournament like?"

"Aggravating." Rhode groaned as they walked towards Black Lake.

"That seems to be all this place ever does to you." Jack pointed out as the demigoddess sat down by the edge of the lake. He joined her, dipping his feet into the water.

"I know right?" Rhode offered a tired grin, "Yet all I do is come back. Does that make me weird?"

"Nah." He brushed the question aside, grinning at her.

The surface of the water broke, and a large red tentacle came out.

"Whoa!" Jack jumped out of the lake, hovering ten feet in the air as the tentacle nuzzled against Rhode. This got him odd looks from the many wizards wandering the grounds, all of them deciding to enjoy the free morning that the Tournament had given them.

"Watch it, Jack!" Rhode hissed to the boy. Looking nervously left and right, she added. "We don't want to get too much attention and piss off the psychics."

"Right." Jack agreed as he floated to the ground.

Rhode waited for him to settle down before returning her attention to Bob.

"Hey Bob." The daughter of the seas greeted as she patted the squid's appendage.

"Bob?" Jack asked slowly, "Is it an octopus?"

"A squid." The scion of the ocean corrected him as she looked affectionately at the aquatic creature.

Slowly walking over, Jack looked at her oddly, "You named a giant squid Bob?"

"Yeah?"

"Nah, you were right. You are _so_ weird."

Rhode squawked at him, even after seeing the playful look on his face.

"Bob's a great name! It's not like I named him Mr. Squiggles. Now that would have been _weird_."

"...That crossed your mind?"

Rhode flustered at this and pouted, "Hush you."

Jack laughed as the tentacle returned to the water, splashing her with water in the process. He sat back down next to her as she used her powers to dry herself instantly.

"Still, glad ya came." She told him sincerely, leaning in closer to him.

"Yeah." He smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He didn't seem to know where to put his arm though and it rested uncomfortably over her shoulders, pressing down heavily on her. Shifting slightly so that his hold was just a little looser, she settled into a more comfortable position.

"I know you got kicked out last time you were here, so want a tour?"

Jack smiled down at her, "With you? Of course."

Rhode reached up and kissed his cheek.

Always the sweet talker.

* * *

After spending the morning touring the grounds with Jack, the couple had met up with Su and Lee for lunch. They'd spent the rest of the day hanging out as a group. The whole time Su was especially quiet and Rhode was getting worried, but Lee had discretely told her not to get involved so she left the matter to him.

Several hours later, it was time for the Third Task and Rhode found herself standing with the other Champions on a section of the grounds that had been transformed into a mine. There were entrances to mining tunnels jutting out of the earth in an area roughly equal in size to the Quidditch pitch. They were all clearly unfinished, if the piles of earth and stacks of wooden support beams outside were any indication.

_Looks like I'll be playing in the dirt tonight._

" _Champions! For the final task, you will be tunneling into the ground to find a carefully hidden keyhole to match the keys behind you!"_

The "keys" as they were called, were in reality two ton rune inscribed boulders that they were to drag underground with them. Thankfully, Professor Snape had taught her the Gouging Spell after they had noticed what the Ministry was preparing.

Still, Rhode felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. More than anything, she didn't want to go into some danky little hole. Let alone one _underground_ , a domain that Hades ruled over.

Her Uncle had already tried to kill her with an army, and that was on land. Gods knew what could happen underground of all places.

Not that she had a choice as Bagman's commentary proceeded to explain. _"Once they do so they'll free their hostage."_

At that he indicated to a group of four petrified people standing inside a magical array setup next to the judge's table.

Krum and Cedric's hostages were apparently their dates to the Ball, while Delacour's was a little girl that looked a lot like her and was probably her sister. Rhode however gave those three barely any attention, most of that was reserved for her own hostage: Su.

 _Why the Pit did you ever agree to this, Su!?_ Rhode screamed in her mind as she stared at her unnaturally still best friend.

It made her nervous, it made her angry, and it made her want to kick someone's brain in.

" _The first to do so will win the Tournament!"_ Bagman declared, to rapturous cheers from the crowd.

As the roar of the crowd died down, Bagman continued. " _Now the order that the Champions will be allowed to enter the mine_ _will be determined by their hard earned score. First up, with a commanding lead of one hundred and fifty-nine points, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons!"_

The crowd once more erupted into cheers, even more so as Bagman raised his wand. It was so loud that Rhode could barely hear the bang he released. Delacour heard it just fine though and raced into the mine, her "key" floating behind her. _"And there she goes. Quite eager isn't she?"_

Rhode tuned the rest out, she didn't care how many points the others got. All she cared about was getting into the mine and freeing Su as soon as possible.

" _And last, our young underdog, Rhode Evans with eighty-one points! She's been quite the disappointment so far, what with her complete lack of participation in the secret bonus Slytherin Task and her terrible showing in the Second Task, will she be able to salvage the situation?"_

"Like I actually care." Rhode grunted, staring at her frozen friend with concern.

When the bang went off for her, the demigod quickly used the featherlight charm and then followed up with the levitation charm on the boulder. Floating it towards her, Rhode quickly made it down the finished sections of the tunnel.

Within less than a dozen feet however, she'd hit a dead end. Undeterred, she pointed her wand at the rockface and cast the Gouging Spell, " _Defodio!"_

The ground seemed to liquify and shifted to the sides of the tunnel and solidified at her command. Rhode continued to guide the boulder behind her, trying to figure out where the hell she would find a keyhole of all things underground.

She'd pinned all her hopes on this front on Lee. The daughter of Poseidon had hoped the son of Hermes would unearth some helpful intel on the Task from his spying. Unfortunately, he'd ended being caught red-handed by Madame Maxime, who had been paranoid that _one_ time and used an anti-animagus ward.

He'd been forced to swear a magical oath to register his Animagus status with the Ministry, to stop spying for Rhode about the Tournament and to not use his skill for anything illegal. If he failed to do so, the Madame Giant would be magically compelled to report him. Something which almost certainly would mean a stint in Azkaban.

Claiming to be way too handsome for Azkaban, the son of Hermes didn't have much of a choice. He had been pouting over it ever since, and making his fellow demigods promise to never tell his siblings he got caught. Considering he'd only got in the mess to help her out, Rhode easily agreed and convinced Su to do the same.

As she continued to dig deeper into the ground, Rhode cast the Point Me spell,

" _Point Me."_ She demanded of her wand, but it only spun wildly in her hand, like a compass with a magnet next to it. Clearly someone had chosen to counter that little trick.

Rhode blew her bangs out of her eyes, her shoulders stiff as her green eyes darted around her.

_It's just a tunnel. Just a tunnel. No monsters are going to jump out at you, Rhode. Stop being paranoid!_

It was just then that her ears picked up something scratching against the ground to her right.

 _Is it another Champion?_ She thought, but that idea was squashed as soon as a portion of the right wall collapsed and a pinkish worm the size of a grown man with spines running down the side of its body jumped out at her, its four pronged mouth opening up as it _hissed_ at her while its tongue flailed around.

"Why is my paranoia always right in times like this?!" Rhode shouted as she jumped back and away from the creature's initial lunge. Even as the worm coiled its muscles in preparation for another jump, her right sleeve lit up with green Greek runes.

This time as the creature leaped towards her, she was ready and she punched the thing right in the head, the force of which reduced the monster into nothing more than bloody spatter.

" _Oh? It seems Miss Evans has run into the Bloodworms!"_

"Bloodworms?" Rhode worked the word out, her teeth gritted.

And with a tasty demigod in the ground they were probably all going to come for Rhode, sniffing her out.

"Fan-freaking-tastic." She swore under her breath.

As if in response to her thoughts, another three of the worms burst out of the earth around her. One dropping from the ceiling and another two from the walls to her right and left.

"Whoa!" Rhode jumped back, pinned against her boulder as she lashed out with a kick and cut the nearest worm in half.

One of the worms seemed to decide that physical attacks were too risky and switched to magic. Closing its disgusting mouth, it's beak like snout glowed an earthy brown for a moment before an arrow of magic shot at the daughter of the seas.

Thinking quickly, Rhode whipped out Achilles' Shield and deflected the magic. It hit the earth and carved a worm sized chunk out of the rock.

 _Did they just use the gouging spell?_ Rhode gasped even as the other worm followed the other's example and she used her shield to deflect the worm's shot.

"This is crazy, I'm going to be swarmed by these things." The demigoddess said through her gritted teeth as she used the shield to protect her, while advancing on the worms who were raining their one spell on her.

She had just closed to within striking distance of the first worm and was preparing to take it out with a _Sectumsempra_ when the sound of rocks shifting told her more of the worms had showed up. Quickly changing tactics, she decided to use another of the spells her Professor had taught her instead.

" _Sagitta Infernum_."

At her invocation, she swept her wand through the air in a wide arc and launched dozens of magical arrows through the air that impacted each and every one of the worms. The creatures bursting like popped balloons at being struck.

The daughter of Poseidon grinned as she clenched her wand tighter, "So much better than a bow."

A scratching sound had Rhode turn to one badly wounded but still alive worm that was desperately crawling towards the rock wall, in a bid to escape. She was having none of it.

"Not so fast, buddy. _Scorpionem Seras_."

Immediately a fiery bolt of raw arcane energy fired from the tip of her wand and reduced the creature to a bloody smear.

With the coast clear, Rhode continued to use her wand to guide the boulder. Her nerves on a knife's edge as she worried if one of their magicks hit her 'key'.

"I really hope the other Champions ran into these pests too. I'll be damn pissed if they didn't."

Rhode was just finished complaining when suddenly the voice of Bagman echoed all around her. _"And Cedric Diggory has done it! He's won the Triwizard Champion!"_ There was the sound of an ecstatic crowd, even as the Ministry man continued in something of an afterthought. _"Remaining Champions please place your hands on your 'keys', they have been transformed into portkeys and will return you to the surface no_ w."

A sense of relief came over her, "Thank the gods, it's done."

Without any delay Rhode rushed over to the boulder and placed her hand on it as instructed. Immediately, she felt like something was hooking her somewhere near her navel as her vision blurred, closing her eyes she let the feeling overtake her as the magic transported her out of the blasted mine.

* * *

Rhode reappeared a moment later next to judges' table. Bagman was busy recounting how Cedric defeated a pair of bloodworms and a pack of creatures she'd never heard of called Tunnelers.

She could care less. Instead, all her focus was on one of the attendants as she came over and with a complicated looking spell released the frozen Su.

The Chinese girl wobbled on her feet as she released, but before she could do anything, Rhode enveloped her best friend in a hug.

"Rhode?" Su asked, still sounding disorientated.

"I'm so glad you're okay."

Su smiled and warmly returned the hug. "Of course I am. I knew you were on the case."

As Cedric was given the trophy, Rhode was honestly happy for the guy. The daughter of Poseidon looked at Su for a moment and said, "Hey, give me a second."

Su nodded and Rhode headed over to the Triwizard Champion.

"Hey! Cedric!" The guy turned to her and she smirked, "Good win."

"Thanks, Rhode."

* * *

The whole castle almost literally erupted in celebration at the Hogwarts victory, but the Ministry personnel were quick to channel the crowds into the Great Hall where a feast had been prepared. It had been set up in the same style as the Yule Ball, with small individual tables for ten instead of the long House Tables and with buffet tables laden with food and drinks set up along the sides. It had been decorated in a combination of Hogwarts and Hufflepuff colours and was quite the sight to behold.

The whole Hall was abuzz from the end of the Tournament, Cedric was seated at the teachers table as the guest of honor. Flanked by his hostage and girlfriend Cho, they looked liked a king and queen holding court.

Rhode couldn't say for Cho but at least Cedric deserved it after his achievement.

Some people jeered at her, claiming her even _living_ through the whole Tournament was sheer luck. Rhode frankly ignored them, like they would even know what it was like to fight for their lives. A spoiled pig died the fastest.

Instead, her attention was all on Su, never leaving her side for an instant out of worry.

"Hey Su, you done with hogging Rhode's attention?" Jack asked with a quirk in his lips, that said he was just teasing. There was a look in his eyes however that Rhode couldn't place but made her just a bit uneasy.

"Hm, I don't know." Su simply told Jack, preening under the taller demigoddess' attention.

Lee just shook his head at the lot of them. "Jack, back off. Su, stop being such a ham."

Both aforementioned demigods shot him an annoyed look but said nothing.

"And there she is!" The shrill voice of Rita Skeeter called out as she slinked over to the table that the four friends had taken for their own, her floating quill and notepad nearby, "Miss Evans, care for an interview on your _dismal_ performance today? No, the whole tournament!"

Sea green eyes looked the tabloid writer up and down and she simply shrugged, "Not really. Why don't you buzz off and hound the other Champions. I'm sure there's a better story there for you, use it to write a decent article for once in your life."

"Hmph! Every one I write is a masterpiece. Not like a child like you would know." Skeeter said and walked off to go bug someone else.

Lee shook his head, "You know she's going to tear you to shreds right?"

"Yeah, I know," Rhode nodded but sighed, looking up and resting her elbows on the table, "but I don't care, Lee. Su's safe, I'm alive, and once again I've lived through whatever ordeal comes at me year after year. She can do whatever, I still call it a win."

Su nodded. "Skeeter's a hack anyway. Everyone knows it. Even if most wizards won't admit it."

"I agree, my Father's been saying that for years." Cedric said as he walked over to them.

Rhode grinned at him, "And the man of the hour! Where's the entourage?"

"Getting drunk." He laughed, pointing at where a group of his friends were chugging down Firewhiskey in some kind of drinking game. "I took my chance while they were distracted and came over alone. I just wanted to thank you again for the Second Task. I'm sure Krum would have taken the lead if you hadn't got him booted."

"Meh, I like you a heck of alot better then the Barbie Doll and Mista Supastar." She said with an exaggerated accent.

They all shared a laugh at that and Cedric patted her shoulder.

"For what it's worth, I think you would have had a good shot at winning if you'd taken things seriously."

Rhode inclined her head in thanks and the Winner walked off, getting swarmed by a group of eager First-Years asking for his autograph.

"Man, he has no idea how annoying that is going to be." Rhode said as she leaned her shoulder against Su's, shaking her head.

"Oh to be talented and handsome." Lee said dramatically.

Jack looked at him in stunned surprise, "You're handsome?"

"Laugh it up, Jackfrost."

Any further banter was cut short when the entire castle suddenly shook and the sound of shattering glass resounded across the grounds.

"What just happened?" Jack asked as he stood up, tense and ready for battle.

"I think those were the wards shattering." Lee hissed as he pointed to a staggering Dumbledore who had whipped his head to the castle grounds in alarm.

"And that's not a good thing," Rhode said slowly, her sea green eyes narrowed as she too stood.

This was proven right when the windows on one side of the Great Hall exploded and a barrage of spells soared into the crowd of shocked revelers.

"Shit." Rhode cursed, even as squads of undead appeared directly in the Hall and immediately began attacking people.

"Protect the mortals!" Su shouted as she yielded one of Helel's vines like a whip to smash a squad of skeleton warriors advancing on them.

Lee shot into the air with a cry of "Air Jordan" and began shooting bombardment spells into the undead ranks.

Jack took to the air and joined him, freezing whole squads of the abominations with his powers.

Rhode summoned her shield and pulled out a clicky pen from within. Clicking it, a celestial bronze kopis appeared in her hand.

"For Poseidon! For the gods!" She shouted her war cry and leapt into the fray to save as many as she could.

They didn't know who had launched the attack but they didn't care. No one was going to kill innocent people on their watch.

The Battle for Hogwarts was on.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> Hm, so no maze huh? Thought we would spice it up. Hope it was interesting to you guys. As to what the worms are, take a guess at what they were!
> 
> Nameless: Not much to say here actually. Cedric won, hooray! Besides that… Well, most of my thoughts are around the battle in the next chapter since we wrote the thing in this chapter then split it. The battle is epic by the way. Look forward to it. I know we left you guys hanging on a cliffhanger, but trust me when I say that it's worth it.
> 
> Indeed, it was so long we just had to give it its own chapter! Hope you enjoy it guys.
> 
> Alright, you know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	11. I Battle Skeletor in the Pale Moonlight

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Eleven: I Battle Skeletor in the Pale Moonlight**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

The Hall had descended into chaos. Throughout it hordes of inferi, zombies and skeletons were literally tearing apart anyone they came across. At the same time, vampires slinked through the ranks of the terrified and confused crowd of wizards killing anyone trying to restore some semblance of order and mount a defense. Some bright souls tried to escape the carnage via magic, only to badly splinch themselves as a set of creepy green wards came up and blocked them.

The surprise of the attack was total and in the minutes that followed, hundreds of innocently partying people were brutally killed.

Amidst the brutal mayhem, the heavy head of Rhode's blade sliced through the undead with ease as she fought to save lives.

She was just dispatching a skeletal swordsman when she was forced to quickly whirl around as an inferi launched itself at her. Rhode dodged to the left and the creature barreled past her, unable to correct its course in time. Casually, she lopped its head off before it could get back up.

Using her shield to block a strike from another skeletal warrior, Rhode scowled at the disadvantageous position they were trapped in. Being stuck in the Great Hall was akin to being in a kill box.

The daughter of the sea used the shield of Achilles to bash the warrior, causing it to falter. Capitalizing on its disorientation, Rhode cut off its arms with two swift slashes.

"We need to-" Rhode shouted, intending to rally some of the other defenders into an attempt to break out of the Hall.

Apparently she wasn't the only one with the same idea as she was cut off mid-sentence by a massive blast of green energy that cut a swathe of destruction through the ranks of the undead and their Death Eater garbed allies surging through the wall of broken windows. This was followed by a series of bombardment spells from all around the Hall that helped keep the breach in the enemy lines open.

"Charge! Move! Move!" Rhode shouted as she raced towards the opening that was given to them. Su followed at her side, using her plants to corral the enemy and hold them back. Above her Lee and Jack provided air support, the son of snow with blasts of chilling frost while the son of the messenger god rained down waves of his Celestial Bronze knives. Behind them, a small group of wizards followed their lead.

"Their lines are broken!" A voice shouted from inside the Hall. "Force them back!"

In response, the weight of spellfire from the defenders seemed to intensify tenfold and the attackers began being pushed back.

At the same time, Rhode alongside a few brave wizards charged into the flanks of the Death Eater's firing line.

 _Stupid terrorists, making my life more difficult!_ Rhode complained to herself as she froze the tip of her sword and the face of her shield. As abominable as the Death Eaters were, they were still mortal and her Celestial Bronze weapons were useless against mortals.

Their mortality didn't stop her from killing them in the slightest however. Her clothes glowing from the runes that enhanced her strength, speed, and reflexes, she became a tornado of death as she slaughtered dozens of the terrorists before they seemed to get the picture and began falling back. Most were cut down by the spellfire from the defenders as they finally pushed the attackers out of the Hall.

She was just finishing with kicking a Death Eater's body off her blade when she finally caught enough of a breather to assess the situation. The sight that greeted the demigoddess caused her to suck in her breath.

The entire lawn of Hogwarts was covered in row after row of undead. Unlike the disorganized horde that swarmed the Hall in what Rhode now realized was only a distraction, this was a properly organized army. The vanguard consisted of mobs of inferi, zombies and other fleshy undead who soaked up the defender's spellfire. Leading the front ranks were a dozen giants that stood at seventeen feet with muscular physiques, thinning, bone-white hair, sunken, glassy eyes, long, curling fingernails, and ashen-gray skin. Behind them were orderly squares of skeleton warriors equipped with large shields that they had raised in tortoise formations that protected both them and the odd archer or Death Eater marching with them that fired on the defenders with arrows and spells. In the air were swarms of ghosts that flew above the army. Mixed within the ranks of these specters were poltergeists who used their ability to lift objects to throw javelins at the defenders. Worse of the spirits though were the wraiths, looking like grim reapers these undead flew around the battlefield and cut people down with their dark scythes while becoming ghost like and immune to most spells whenever they were flung their way.

At the very rear of the army, its leader floated along. It was a skeleton cloaked in green miasma, dressed in black robes that flowed from its unnatural form and an obsidian crowl. Its limbs were supported by raw magical energy and a dark light shone from its eye sockets.

_A fucking lich? Ugh, can't ever be a simple megalomaniac can it?_

In an ADHD moment, she wondered if she should call Thanatos to ask Hades if he was missing some dead.

* * *

Cedric Diggory's best day in his life had quickly turned to hell.

As waves of living dead attacked everyone, he rallied as many people as possible - his father, his schoolmates, Ministry personnel, anyone willing that he could reach really - to help defend who they could. Together they fired away at the mockeries of life. While they fought, his mother had gathered a group of those unable to fight - his younger schoolmates, those whose nerves had collapsed in the wake of the sudden attack, the injured - behind them, trying to help them as best as she could.

"We need reinforcements. We can't hold these blighters off for long." His father wheezed out, looking out of breath.

Cedric nodded in agreement. All around them, other students had gathered into clusters to try and gain some sense of order in the Great Hall as they fought a desperate defense.

He saw Granger and the youngest Weasley fighting alongside her brothers and a few of the older Gryffindors while shielding a group of noncombatants. The two girls were moving like a well oiled machine, fighting with the kind of teamwork that Cedric had never expected to see outside of longtime Auror partners. There was no doubt that the continued survival of their group was largely due to the two of them.

Madam Maxine and her students had adopted a defensive ring to protect a number of wounded from a pack of vampires. Flying funnel-like things floated all around them, shooting at the living dead with beams of light. The strange magic seemed to be the work of the very pregnant government agent, Audrey Burnes if the green glow that enshrouded both her and her funnels were anything to go by.

The Durmstrang students were all fighting individual battles and thankfully gaining ground for them. Though nowhere near as much as the ground being won by Banagher Burnes and Rhode's group.

The man was walking through the Hall like a hero straight of legend. His whole body was glowing with the same green glow as his wife, but many times more intense. Also unlike his wife, he needed no trinkets to destroy his enemies. His hands in his pockets, he seemed to leisurely stroll right into where the living dead were thickest in the Hall. Wherever he went, the abominations just disintegrated as if exposure to his aura alone was too much for them.

If Banagher looked liked a hero then Rhode and her friends were like demons. The way they fought were cowing and inspiring. All of them were ripping apart living dead as if it was as natural as breathing.

He was glad he never had to _fight_ Rhode in the Tri-Wizard.

He had hoped Dumbledore would somehow save the day, but the great wizard himself looked exhausted.

_The wards shattering must have taken its toll on him._

He nevertheless rounded up the other Professors to begin a counterattack.

Glancing across the hall, the Headmaster caught Banagher's eye. The man gave him a nod and they both turned to face the broken wall of the Hall where even now the enemy was pouring in.

"We need to-" Cedric heard Rhode shout even as the two men took action. Banagher sending a massive blast of green energy at the wall that decimated hundreds of living dead and burnt at least three Death Eaters to a crisp. This was followed up immediately by Dumbledore and the Professors as they rained bombardment spells into the enemy, widening the breach.

"-arge! Move! Move!" He heard Rhode shouting once he got his hearing back from the jarring cacophony of explosions.

"Let's join them." Cedric called out to his group even as he raced to follow Rhode's lead.

"Their lines are broken!" Dumbledore declared, as he too ran towards the hole in the enemy's formation. "Force them back!"

As one, the Hall's defenders surged forward, encouraged by the shifting tide of the battle. What followed was brutal close quarters fighting as he dueled with the Death Eaters that made up the bulk of the enemy at the Hall's perimeter.

In the confused melee, he thought he saw Cho get hit by something and fall but before he could even fully register it, he was forced to evade a barrage of deadly spells. Hoping that his girlfriend was alright, he plunged back into the fray.

After a few minutes - or an eternity. Cedric quickly lost his sense of time - the Death Eaters seemed to finally get that they'd lost and began running away.

"We've won?"

"Not by a long shot." Banagher, who had somehow ended up beside him, told him looking off into the distance.

Following his gaze, Cedric gulped and felt himself break out in cold sweat. His entire body turned stiff, fright running down his spine at seeing the army of living dead and especially the skeletal being at the rear. It was clearly the leader.

A Lich.

* * *

Against this formidable force of the living dead stood only Rhode, a handful of other demigods, a crowd of civilians, two psychics, and a few wizards who were actually able to aid in the battle.

"Defensive positions!"

"Find some cover!"

A number of other commands were being shouted all around her as the daughter of Poseidon tempered her nerves, praying to her Dad for whatever aid he could offer her.

Regaining her calm, Rhode drew her wand with her shield hand and pointed it at the rapidly closing enemy.

" _Bombarda Maxima_!" Rhode cast towards the lich, only for it to lazily raise its wand and shoot a spell of its own that intercepted her own. It caused it to go off course mid flight and resulted in an explosion that blasted some of the units in the middle of the army, but it continued to march on regardless.

A number of other spells were similarly intercepted either by the lich or by the Death Eaters, with only a handful of spells getting through and causing little damage. That didn't last long though as the enemy quickly seemed to tire of playing missile defence. Suddenly a large chunk of the ghosts surged towards the defenders. They were joined by hundreds of their ilk that swarmed out of the castle itself, though these were slowed down by Hogwarts' own resident specters who engaged them in brutal hand to hand combat.

 _Those guys must have snuck in earlier and sabotaged the wards!_ Rhode's ADHD mind reasoned, just as the first wave of ghosts fell on her position.

" _Lumos_!" The brunette repeatedly cast, scaring a few of the approaching ghosts away as they began harassing her. The damn things couldn't really hurt her per se, but their touch chilled any person they touched to the bone and was incredibly distracting.

"Leave the ghosts to the kids!" A man that Rhode recognized as a Ministry flunky shouted. "Focus your spells on the army!"

" _Lumos_!" Colin Creevey cast as he came up to Rhode, scaring off a ghost that had been coming in from her side. The boy was a third year Gryffindor and had been a fanboy of hers once, before she'd set him straight. From what she remembered he wasn't anything special and she was pleasantly surprised to see him step up now to help protect the school.

"I'll watch your back Rhode, go kick some butt." The boy said with a tired grin.

"Thanks Colin." The daughter of Poseidon said with a nod.

Charging into the now closing ranks of the enemy vanguard, Rhode called out to her friends. "Campers on me!"

Su, Jack and Lee fell in around her as they engaged with the horde of walking corpses, all while under the soothing light from Creevey's wand.

* * *

Jack had to agree with all he had heard about Hogwarts.

It was absolutely messed up.

If this was what Rhode, Lee and Su had to deal with on a yearly basis, he didn't see why they kept coming back.

Chilling blasts and icicles the size of lances fired from his staff as he channeled his unwanted powers through it. He felt his skin crawl every time he used his powers now. Knowing they came from the _monster_ that had spawned him.

Yet through all the grief he was going through, Rhode had somehow stuck by him. He appreciated that, even if at the time it didn't seem like he had. So he kept close by her during the battle, keeping the sky safe as best he could while she fought like the hero she was.

That however did not mean that he was too preoccupied to get a picture of the battle so far. And what he saw of the wizards left him feeling more unimpressed than ever before. Sure the wizards fought hard, but that was only those of them that worked up the nerve to do so. And they were clearly the minority. Plus, even among those who were fighting no one really stood out.

The only person who _did_ stand out was the psychic man as he blasted a swathe of destruction through the ranks of the enemy army. It didn't matter what the bad guys threw at him. Skeletons, vampires, wizards, zombies, he killed them all. All while looking like he was taking a stroll through the park, at least it looked like it from the air. No matter what they attacked him with, be it spells, javelins, arrows or even the superhumanly fast thrust of the vampire's blades, he seemed to be able to see them coming and evade or counter with ease. In contrast, his enemies were not so lucky and were easily reduced to ash by his energy blasts.

 _Alright, now that is one wicked dude._ Jack thought as he swung his staff through a pack of ghosts, his weapon forged as it was from the sacred wood of his grandfather Boreas easily dispelling them where the mortals seemed hapless against them.

Having dealt with the latest group of nuisances, he returned his attention to the battle below and saw a squad of vampires slinking unnoticed towards Rhode's unprotected back. Su and Lee having been bogged down a distance away, seemingly deliberately, by a large mob of zombies. Jack was just about to shout a warning and fire a beam of frost at the vampires when a green energy blast took them out.

A moment later, Rhode finished off the undead giant she had been fighting. The thing fell backwards, crushing some zombies in the process. Ignoring that, the daughter of Poseidon spun around as the psychic walked up to her. She seemed visibly nervous as they talked.

Jack was too far away to hear, but whatever he said seemed to make her more and more nervous. Though the cryokinetic couldn't be sure about that either as a wraith materialized in front of him.

He barely avoided being eviscerated by the thing's scythe thanks to his demigod reflexes and replied with an ice blast to it's face before it could shift into its incorporeal ghost state, thus killing the thing.

Turning his attention back to Rhode, he saw that her chat with the psychic had been cut short, as a group of utterly creepy old women with floor length black hair, skeletal faces, and green skin had hobbled through the battle to engage them. The old hags were taking turns to screech at anyone who tried to attack them and every time they did, every living thing around them that heard the cry just dropped dead.

He didn't know what they were, but Jack knew that they freaked him the hell out. Jack's heart stopped as they got close to Rhode and took a deep breath.

Even though he was too far away for Rhode to hear, he nevertheless shouted with all he had. "Rhode, get out of there!"

As if on cue, the old women cried as one. The psychic seemed to stagger under whatever they were doing. Rhode however amazingly enough was unaffected by their deathly cries and just launched herself at the creepy screaming grannies.

Clearly shocked that their power didn't work on Rhode, the old bats couldn't react in time to do anything before the daughter of the sea's kopis sliced them to ribbons. She had no mercy, making sure that each and everyone was killed. Even the ones who tried to flee were not spared the demigoddess' wrath.

Jack knew it would take a lot to take down Rhode, but it was seriously scary how she _ignored_ a deathly wail.

 _Damn! She's even scarier than I thought._ Jack thought as an apprehensive chill went down his spine.

* * *

Voldemort watched as his army massacred the weak fools who stood in his way. There were some hiccups here and there. The psychics his informants had told him about and Potter's friends were proving a lot more of a challenge than he had expected. Overall, however the living were dying in droves while his army suffered only modest losses.

Things were all proceeding within his expectations.

Yet, the sense of accomplishment eluded him. He should be feeling joy or at least satisfaction at his plans going well, but he felt nothing. Nothing at all.

He hadn't felt anything since becoming a lich. This fact alone would have left the him from before the ritual appalled, but as he was now, he couldn't muster any emotion. His new existence was driven by only three things: his ambition to rule the world, a need to destroy the living, and self-preservation.

Without his emotions, all that was left to him was ruthless pragmatism as he worked to fulfill his goals. Even if it meant allying with the accursed living such as the Death Eaters, or putting on the mask of a bloody tyrant that the fools believed him to be, he was willing to do it. All so he could become the ruler of all he surveyed.

A goal he could only achieve if he defeated the most powerful wizard alive, Albus Dumbledore.

Spotting his target leading a cluster of Hogwarts Professors as they hunkered behind a piece of transfigured cover, he waded through his troops intent on facing the old man for a final time.

A few of the living tried to get in his way but he dealt with them with mere flicks of his wand as he passed.

"VOLDEMORT!"

The elderly wizard bellowed like a warcry. The lich looked at him dispassionately, assessing with the cold detachment that characterized its entire being now how Dumbledore looked like he was on his last legs. The backlash from the collapse of the Hogwarts wards and the prolonged battle had clearly taken their toll. He was breathing hard and he was covered in a sheen of sweat. The living were so fragile.

The Headmaster's companions moved to support him, but Voldemort was having none of it. Facing Dumbledore alone would be a challenge, allowing the man's followers to assist him would push the fight into something truly dangerous. Fortunately, he had just the solution for this dilemma.

" _الموت والتفسخ_ _._ (Almawt Waltafasukh/Death and Decay)." The lich intoned with a flick of his wand. In response, a thick cloud of sickly green miasma poured from his form and blanketed the whole area. Immediately, all living within the vicinity began to die as they spasmed in agony as they rotted away.

Filius Flitwick, famed former duelist; Minerva McGonagall, the greatest transfiguration mistress of her generation; and at least two other lesser known Professors died futilely trying to counter his magic. As expected, only Dumbledore succeeded. His quick reflexes allowing him to cast a whole body variant of the bubble-head charm in time to save himself but not quickly enough to save his colleagues.

His living self would have mocked him, rubbed salt in the wound. Once more, Voldemort felt nothing but detachment from his victory.

Dumbledore raised his wand, a shivering sensation coming over the lich at seeing the focus crafted out of elder wood. It called to him, whispered in his mind, urging him to take hold of what his senses were telling him was the famed Death Stick.

For the first time in his existence as a lich, he felt a semblance of true emotion as an intense desire to claim the fabled wand for himself was kindled in his mind.

The trill of a phoenix rang in the air and brought his attention back to matters at hand as Dumbledore's companion joined the battle.

The old wizard looked at him with a mixture of rage and horror. " _Maiorem Incendio_ (Greater Incendio)!" Gouts of flame erupted from the tip of his wand and the old man got talkative.

"Death Magic, Tom? That you would stoop to becoming a living dead for power. Is there no depths you would not go?"

Voldemort was unfazed by the fire and simply raised his wand. " _Magnam Protego_ (Grand Protego)."

The lich conjured a shield spell that easily protected him from the flames and the fire forked over him, the flaming waves burning the living dead around him into crisps.

 _No, not in life and certainly not in living death._ Voldemort thought to himself in reply to the old man's question. After all, he'd always sought power at all costs. Certainly, there had been times he'd chosen not to pursue particular paths to power such as becoming a living dead to unlock the ability to use Death Magic but that was only when alternatives like Horcruxes were available. When things had changed, there had been no hesitation to embrace this new path.

He voiced none of this however, there was no point in wasting time conversing with someone who was about to die. Instead, he chose to counterattack. " _Sagitta Infernum_!"

Hundreds of arcane bullets shot from the lich's wand as he swept it through the air, and streaked across the battlefield at Dumbledore. The old man was forced to cut off his stream of fire to counter with his own _Sagitta Infernum_.

Using the opening of Dumbledore focusing his attention on directing his arcane arrows to intercept his own, Voldemort cast one of his most powerful spells. " _والهدف من كل الحياة هو الموت_. (Walhadaf Min Kuli Alhayat Hu Almawt/The Goal Of All Life Is Death)."

Voldemort's words came out of his skull like a howl that echoed all around them as he shaped his magic into his latest spell. As the last word escaped him, the few dozen living around him dropped dead. Even Dumbledore stumbled and he had the lifegiving song of his phoenix counteracting it from where it was perched on his shoulder.

"H-How?" The old wizard uttered in shock as he looked at the sudden death all around them.

Voldemort didn't reply, he simply pointed his wand at the old man and fired off a _Bombarda_.

The explosion the spell caused sent the old man flying backwards, but his phoenix easily caught him in its talons and placed him back on his feet.

The Dark Lord was about to press his advantage when the Headmaster counterattacked.

" _Ignis Lanceam_ (Fire lance)!" The old man muttered even as a javelin of flame shot from his wand at the lich.

If he had been human, Voldemort would have quirked an eyebrow at the simple spell the wizard had chosen. As a lich, he merely automatically raised his wand and countered with an _Aguamenti_.

The water from his wand easily quenched the fire lance. Returning his attention to his opponent, Voldemort could tell from the Headmaster's posture, that he had something big in mind for the next round of their duel.

Voldemort raised his wand to interrupt him and barked out a quick barrage of _Confringo_ s but the old man was prepared for him. Acting faster than his advanced age should have allowed, he jabbed his wand at the lich in rapid succession with a series of rapid cries of " _Avis_!" With each thrust, a flock of conjured birds erupted from his wand with a blast and a burst of smoke.

Acting on his command, the avians suicidally intercepted his barrage. The sheer number of birds the Headmaster conjured meant that dozens survived and flew to harass the lich, giving the man the window he needed.

" _Ferrum in terra. Ferrum ad vitam. Golem veni foras_ (Earth to iron. Iron to life. Golem come forth)!" Dumbledore intoned, while Voldemort was on the back foot dealing with the old man's conjured pests. As the wizard finished his incantation, the ground rumbled and a massive twenty foot tall iron golem pushed itself to its feet out of a hole in the ground that matched its shape perfectly.

The hulking mass swung its fists about, and each step it took made the ground rumble.

Voldemort floated backwards, flourishing his wand and pointed it at the ground.

" _المشي هذه الأرض مرة أخرى_ _:_ _روم_ (Almashiu Hadhih Al'ard Maratan 'ukhraa: Rom/Walk this earth once more: Rom)!"

Bones and rotted flesh broke free of the ground, and the Rom crawled out of the ground with a horrific groan. Once it got to its feet, it hobbled towards the iron golem. In moments, the two giants were locked in a melee that pitted the Rom's undead flesh against the golem's metallic body.

The golem conjuration however turned out to be a mere distraction. With a cry of " _Soliferreis Phalaricisque_ (Iron Javelins)!", Dumbledore had used the moment that Voldemort took to create the Rom to fire a brace of conjured javelins at the lich. Caught off guard, the Dark Lord could not defend himself in time and was pierced in multiple places.

He felt no pain however, and none of the lances had dealt more than superficial damage, thus Voldemort simply ignored his injuries and counterattacked.

" _Crepitus soluti_ (Explosion burst)."

At those words, an explosive shockwave with Voldemort as its centre spread across the battlefield. The blast dislodging the iron javelins from his body even as it sent Dumbledore flying once more. It was even powerful enough to cause the still brawling giants to stumble, though they barely noticed it besides shifting their footing to compensate.

While his opponent regained his bearings, the Dark Lord decided it was time for a little recovery of his own.

" _لمسة فامبيريك_ (lmst Fambyryk/Vampiric Touch)." Voldemort cast pointing his wand, not at Dumbledore whose Phoenix would have just used its powers of life to negate his spell but into the distance at a young man too preoccupied fending off a pack of his ghosts to even notice. As the blood red curse touched him, the boy began convulsing and a stream of energy poured from his body and flew across the battlefield into Voldemort's skeletal body. The energy repaired the damage the lich had sustained in the duel so far even as its loss left the boy nothing more than a shriveled corpse.

Attempting to continue fighting, despite Voldemort showing how easily he could heal from injury, Dumbledore started to chant lowly.

Voldemort didn't give him the chance and rained _Bombarda_ s on him, all while steadily advancing. The instantaneous spells however exploded harmlessly on a barrier that Dumbledore's unintelligible chanting must have called up, not that he mattered. There was one spell that Voldemort had in his arsenal that no magical barrier could stop.

" _Avada Kedavra._ " The lich said as he cast his old mainstay, the Killing Curse, to deal the finishing blow.

Immediately, the elderly wizard's phoenix flew into the path of the spell, sacrificing its current life for its companion. Exploding into flames, the fiery avian fell to the ground as a chick.

If Voldemort had still been alive he would have smirked at the bird's predictable behavior. Instead, he simply reached past the bird as it fell and grabbed hold of the wrist of Dumbledore's wand hand that had been in mid motion for a spell. With an application of his undead strength, he snapped it. The wand fell out of the man's hand.

The old man grunted in pain and his eyes swam with shock at Voldemort's unorthodox move. Not that either response concerned the lich as he raised his wand, " _Avada Kedavra_."

The old man was struck and fell into a heap. Life's strings finally cut from his being as the howls of his werewolf allies echoed in the background. It was disgusting to have to ally himself with living beasts such as them, but it was necessary. For now.

Putting aside thoughts of the day when he could rid the world of all the living, Voldemort plucked the elder wand from the ground next to Dumbledore's corpse. As he did, a powerful sensation rippled through his hollow being, the only sensation he has felt since changing into a lich.

He marveled at it, like a child would a toy.

An idea came to mind and Voldemort pointed the wand at Dumbledore's corpse.

Yes, it would aid his campaign greatly. Any living wizards who saw their once great leader fighting alongside the enemy would be greatly demoralized.

All he needed was a little time and a lengthy incantation and an undead Dumbledore would roam the earth as his servant.

Before he could say a word however he spotted movement in the corner of his eyes. Spinning around, he raised a shield to guard himself.

It blocked a dozen moderately powerful _Sagitta Infernum_ conjured magic arrows. He stared off at the distance as his attacker called him out.

"Hey Chucklehead, didn't anyone tell you to respect the dead?"

The Potter girl glared at him with defiant green eyes. Her frame coated in an aura of red light that flickered like a small fire.

* * *

**~ A short while ago ~**

_At times like this I wished the magicals had a damn military._

Rhode mused while using Spellbound to finish off a inferi. She'd been forced to switch to her trident after battling an especially skilled vampire - the dude was _loads_ better than all the other vampires she'd fought so far - that _broke_ her kopis. Bloodsucking asshat. So she cut it down with Spellbound instead.

She couldn't wait to hear Gaige's bitching once she got back to Camp.

"Stop worrying about your sword." Su said as she ordered a dozen of Helel's vines to coil around the legs of an undead giant advancing on them, binding it in place. "Just be glad the vampire was too surprised by you whipping out Spellbound to react in time."

"Yeah, otherwise I doubt you'd have beat it." Lee commented as he threw his knives into the giant's eyes. "It was insanely good with that sword of his."

The daughter of the seas pouted as she rushed the pack of inferi that had been escorting the giant and swung her trident like a scythe, cutting them down.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Don't pout Rhode," Jack chimed in as he launched a icicle the size of a small telephone pole through the giant's chest. "It was probably just super old or something."

"Whatever, I still killed it in the end and that's what counts." Rhode countered as she put down the last of this batch of inferi. "And I'm not worrying about my sword either. I'm just annoyed."

"And this is why you have a focusing problem!"

Rhode conjured a brace of icicles from the water in the air and launched them at a dozen skeletons charging at her, shattering them.

"Shut up."

"Can you two _not_ have a lovers spat right now?" Lee asked as he tossed several daggers at an attacking vampire. Riddling his body with several new holes.

"We are not!" Rhode and Jack shouted at the flying wizard. The child of Poseidon was ignorant of Su's angry face as the daughter of Demeter snapped several skeletons into piles of shattered bone with her pet plant's trunk sized vines.

Rhode's pocket buzzed and she frowned.

 _Who the hell is texting me_ now _? Of all times!_

"Guys, cover me for a second." She said pulling out her phone as a wave of ice appeared in front of her.

"Are you checking your phone? In the middle of a battle?!" Lee shouted at her.

"Only gods and my best friends have this number. It could be majorly important." Rhode shot back as she scrolled through her menu to open the message.

It was from Thanatos.

_Tom Riddle is protected by a phylactery._

Rhode knitted her brow, _The Hades? I thought I took care of him! Ugh, of course it's him! Why not? And what the shit is a phylactery? Some kind of upgraded Horcrux?_

_If it is not destroyed, he cannot be killed._

_I was right. It's a freaking upgraded Horcrux._ Rhode mentally sighed. _Great! And he probably wasn't dumb enough to actually bring it to this fight either._

Rhode pondered for a moment as a trunk of a vine coiled around her protectively even as a wraith materialized next to her. The vine pulled her out of the way just enough to avoid getting cut in half. At the same time, a dozen thorns burst out of the vine and impaled the specter before it could go ghost and killed it.

Through it all, Rhode didn't even blink. She fully trusted that her friends would keep her safe while she was distracted. Instead, she focused on trying to think of a way to kill the arse behind this bloodbath. But what could she do? It wasn't like Rhode could just… _Well there is_ one _thing I can do._

She scrolled through her contacts and hit speed dial even as Su's vine uncoiled from around her and moved to deal with a batch of skeletons.

It rang twice, and the demigod heard it be picked up on the other end.

"Hey, I need a favor. Now."

A low chuckle came from the other end, _"Hehe. Well, if it ain't Banaclebeard's girl-wait. Is that death and carnage I hear in the background? Hold up. Aaand record! Alright, what's up, Killer?"_

She had called Ares, the god of war.

Rhode's response was cut off by the howls of wolves coming towards the battlefield. Looking up, she saw the full-moon hanging in the sky. She groaned at the sight.

"Artemis, for real?"

" _Yeah, she's a_ real _bitch. Ain't she?"_

Looking into the distance, Rhode spotted dozens of werewolves running onto the battlefield from the woods. They were just about to get within a hundred feet of the castle when beams of light started streaking down from the sky and causing massive explosions in the middle of the werewolf packs.

Turning to spot the source of the beams, Rhode noticed a twelve feet plus machine shaped vaguely like a knight flying rapidly through the air that was firing powerful energy beams from a suitably sized gun at the werewolves. Below it, squads of Aurors on brooms were racing up to the castle and firing spells at any enemy they could find.

"Reinforcements!" Rhode heard many defenders cry out in relief from across the battlefield.

" _Bah, barely a proper battalion. Those dainty idiots don't deserve any boon from me."_

Voldmeort's army wasn't about to let the good guys win that easily however and acting in perfect order, a full two thirds of it turned around to cut the new arrivals off.

The Aurors fired spells into the undead formations, but like before the Dark Tosser's troops simply started playing missile defense and sent the ghosts at them. The tactic proved so effective that not only was their advance halted, they were being slaughtered as the confusion the harassing ghosts created left them vulnerable. Within moments, dozens of wizards died.

In stark contrast, the mechanical knight was utterly decimating the bad guys. It was incredibly fast and maneuverable and easily flew circles around the harassing specters. Added to that, its armor seemed practically impervious to anything the enemy could throw at it and that was if they could hit it at all. Something it had no problem doing to them, as it fired volley after volley of energy beams into the undead formations, creating massive holes in them with the explosions its weapon caused.

" _Meh, I've seen better."_

"And what about me? How do I measure up?" Rhode quickly asked with a scowl. She didn't really want to play the war god's games but if that's what it took to get his help then she had no choice.

" _You, little war-machine? Hm, I do like your work. And I've got no beef with your old man. Yet, hehe. So what's your problem?"_

"I've got an unbeatable lich here and need some divine help to end him."

" _Really? That sounds kind of fun. What's your kill count so far?"_

"Preeetty high." Rhode answered, she'd taken down a good part of the enemy.

" _Pretty high? Good. Good. Now you want some kind of weapon, or an army to come in? War has so many options."_ The demigod could practically hear him salivating at the thought.

Before she could respond, a vampire broke through the defensive line the other Campers had made for her. She barely twisted out of the way, its sword cutting her cheek as Rhode counterattacked. The strike lopped off its head, its corpse falling to the ground.

"He's got the item that keeps him around hidden away. So I need that to beat him."

" _Or! You just need some umph that allows you to strike his soul. Letting you rip him asunder right then and there."_

Rhode was stunned, she hadn't actually thought about that.

Before the daughter of Poseidon could put much thought into what Ares had in mind, a shadow loomed over here. Turning around she saw it's owner and fought the urge to gag.

It was a twisted twelve foot abomination with a mutilated body comprised of multiple dead limbs and body parts from various human corpses. It was a bloated imitation of a troll with one oversized arm, a human sized one and a third emaciated limb that was closer to a tentacle than anything else. There was a gaping hole in its belly where it seemed the stitching that held it together had burst open that revealed its gore filled insides and trailed viscera. It dripped blood as it moved and smelt like a disease ridden slaughterhouse. It was armed with a large cleaver and various sickle-bladed hooks on its disproportionate limbs.

"Man this fucker is gross! What kind of sick experiments is Voldemort doing to create something like this!?" Rhode complained as she jumped away from the monster's swing of its oversized cleaver.

"Hey, Ares what-Hello? Hey!" Ares had hung up. The jerk. "What?! Oh come on!"

Not that Rhode had time to get upset over that as the beastie threw its tentacle out to grab her. Dodging the hook attached to it, unfortunately just brought her in range for another swing from its cleaver. Quickly putting Spellbound into a guard, she managed to block it and change a deadly blow into simply one that sent her flying.

As she hit the ground, she rolled to bleed off her momentum. All whilst, she heard the monstrosity's lumbering footsteps as it closed on her once more.

Getting to her feet, she took a quick glance at her friends. Unfortunately, it looked like she was on her own. They were bogged down by a pack of horribly twisted zombies that had gaping maws filled with shark like teeth, massive talons for hands, exposed rib cages that peeked out of their decayed flesh and which moved hunched over like some kind of animal.

 _More of Voldemort's experiments, I'd bet._ Rhode reasoned even as she drew her wand and aimed at the unholy abomination she was fighting.

" _Bombarda_!" The explosion spell blasted into its exposed stomach. She caught it in mid swing of its cleaver and the force of the spell sent it stumbling backwards. It also made the smell of burnt rotten flesh fill the air, but she didn't relent. " _Bombarda! Bombarda! Bombarda!_ "

The chain of explosions rippled over the monster, blasting off chunks of twisted flesh while the rest burned. Even then the thing refused to go down. _Damn, this thing is stupidly durable._

Focusing her magic, Rhode cast once more and aimed at its head, " _Scorpionem Seras_!"

The powerful arcane bolt tore the hulking undead's head right off its shoulders. Unfortunately, the damn thing seemed to make do fine without it and it staggered forward again, though with a more unsure gait.

"Oh this is just a joke." Rhode growled and aimed her wand again, "Why won't you just die? _Bombarda_! _Confringo_! _Bombarda_!"

The barrage of spells finally seemed to take their toll and the abomination began to keel over. Rhode wasn't falling for it though, and didn't let up. " _Confringo_! _Bombarda_! _Sectumsempra_!"

The last spell cut off the hand with the cleaver as the mass of desecrated flesh gave one final quiver before finally stilling.

"And stay dead, dammit! Gods."

Rhode surveyed the battlefield, "Now where's my phone? I have to call him back!"

She'd lost her hold of it when the pesky mountain of stitched together corpses had sent her flying that first time.

With a flick of her wand, she said, " _Accio:_ Cellphone."

The device jumped up from the ground and flew at her. Catching it, Rhode was about to call Ares back when she received a new message.

_You have my boon, Killer. Use it and wreak havoc on the battlefield. -Ares_

As she finished reading, a faint red aura like a wisping fire covered her body.

"You want fucking blood? Fine! Let's end this asshat."

The daughter of Poseidon looked for Voldemort in the chaotic mess that the Hogwarts grounds had become. Her friends were still busy fending off the super zombies who had now been joined by a cluster of skeletal warriors and a couple wraiths who were keeping Jack and Lee busy in the air. The Aurors, decimated by their foolish initial charge, were having a tough time as they were now surrounded by undead that were pressing in on the steadily shrinking defensive circle they'd set up. The flying mechanical knight was too preoccupied with a pair of skeletal dragons that had shown up and which breathed frost at it to help. Banagher was on the case though and was marching to their aid, right through the undead army, backed up by his drones that he finally deigned to summon. The Hogwarts survivors were all clustered around the edge of the ruined Great Hall firing spells at the hordes of undead from whatever cover they could find.

It was at the edge of this barely holding defensive line that she saw the lich that had to be Voldemort advancing on Dumbledore while raining _Bombardas_ on him while the Headmaster hunkered behind some magical shield and worked on some big spell.

Rushing towards the duel, she found herself waylaid by a pack of vampires.

"Out of my way!" Rhode screamed as she swung Spellbound in a wide arc, sending a crescent of razor sharp ice that easily bisected the bloodsuckers.

Their distraction wasted enough of her time to allow Voldemort to close into grabbing range of Dumbledore and as she watched, he did a very un-wizardlike thing and reached out to break the old man's wrist. This caused the Headmaster to drop his wand and leave him defenseless as the lich shot him with a Killing Curse at point blank range.

As she watched Dumbledore fall dead, Rhode grunted. Sure, the guy had tried to control her, and she would have loved nothing but to smack him around, but he could have at least taken -or tried to- Voldemort with him. The brunette knew that he was seen by Wizarding World as the "greatest" wizard. And yet he couldn't even manage that?

_Stupid old codger._

Setting aside her own dislike of the old coot, she aimed her wand at Voldemort's back.

" _Sagitta Infernum_!"

The lich turned around, blocking all her magical arrows with a flick of its wand.

Glaring, Rhode said, "Hey Chucklehead, didn't anyone tell you to respect the dead?"

"Rhode Potter." He rasped out, as if trying to understand her name.

"Evans."

"Always… So impudent. Even before your demise."

"Shut up and die!" Rhode cried as she charged the lich.

Unflustered, the undead just flicked his wand at her. " _Avada Kedavra_."

Smirking Rhode simply slapped the Killing Curse away with Spellbound, sending it flying harmlessly away into the sky.

 _Looks like he forgot-_ Rhode's self-congratulatory thoughts were shattered as a spell slammed into her gut, breaking a rib or two and sending her flying back.

Landing on her side, she cast, " _Aquamenti_." The water trickled out of her wand and she used it to quickly heal herself.

"Hmm, you can heal with water." The lich observed clinically, even as he raised his wand again. " _Sitim_ (Powerful Thirst)."

Immediately, the water that Rhode was using to heal evaporated and she was wracked by an intense thirst.

Rhode tried to scramble to her feet, ignoring her parched throat.

" _لفائف الموت_ (Lafayif Almawt/Death Coil)." Voldemort didn't let her finish getting to her feet and sent a sickly green spirit that screamed in agony coiling through the air at Rhode.

The demigod dodged to the right but the spell, or the spirit that fed it, simply redirected itself mid-flight and zeroed in on her. Thinking quickly, Rhode brought up the Shield of Achilles and blocked the attack. The spell hit the shield hard enough to send the girl stumbling back and exploded into a cloud of miasma that chilled her to the bone.

Without letting Rhode recover, Voldemort pressed his advantage. " _Sagitta Infernum_."

Literally hundreds of arcane arrows shot through the air at her.

"Fuck!" She shouted and huddled down and held up her shield.

It was as if she were the Spartans going against the Persians at the battle of Thermopylae. Only Rhode was the single soldier taking the brunt of the arrows.

The moment of waiting for them to hit was the most unnerved Rhode had felt in a long time. Not helped when Voldemort undercut her by hitting her with a Knockback Jinx that sent her sprawling and utterly open.

Acting quickly she reached out to her minor earthshaking ability and pulled a chunk of earth out of the ground to shield her. The desperate move took up a big chunk of her already depleted stamina however and she was left panting heavily.

When the rain of arrows finally stopped, the demigod got up and ran, refusing to let Voldemort have a chance to pin her again. She was wise to do so as her former position promptly exploded thanks to a _Bombarda_.

Spotting a nearby wall of ice Jack had made earlier in the battle, Rhode called out to it and a chunk of it changed it into a blob of water. Hoping for a moment to use it to heal in some way, shape or form. The blob was gone a second later as it was evaporated by a gout of fire courtesy of an _Incendio_ from her opponent.

 _Dammit! Every time I try to get some water he's going to stop me._ Rhode scowled, the growling from her throat felt like it was shredding it.

It was then an idea struck her.

Water, she needed as much as she could get.

Calling on the rest of the wall of ice, Rhode turned it into liquid and blasted it at Voldemort.

Without comment he just sent a wave of fire at it, reducing the water into a relatively harmless cloud of steam.

And that was just what the demigod wanted.

Her runes burning at maximum power, Rhode ran like a cheetah into the steam cloud that obscured her from Voldemort's vision. The steam only tickled her due to her heat resistance and the half-blood emerged from the smokescreen with Spellbound raised.

Rhode shouted out a warcry, her trident striking down towards Voldemort's chest.

"Sectumsempra." The lich cried out without any hesitation, using the invisible magical sword slash to parry her blow.

Landing on her feet, Rhode didn't let up as she swung Spellbound once again. Voldemort didn't have time to counter. Her superior demigod reflexes gave her the advantage and her thrusts struck true, causing him to flinch with each blow that cut deeply into his skeletal frame. But there was no vital areas on the lich and nothing seemed to be able to cause him a fatal blow. The daughter of the seas tried to take a limb, but even though she was faster the lich was no slouch either and always managed to move just enough out of the way to avoid it.

" _سور، بسبب، بون_ (Sur, Bsbb, Bwn/Wall of Bone)." Voldemort said calmly, despite the haggard feel that Rhode picked up from the lich.

Instinctively Rhode jumped back, just in time to avoid a wall made of tightly compacted skeletons shooting out of the earth where she stood and which now separated her from her enemy.

Realizing that the lich wasn't going to let her get any respite, she wouldn't either in his place, she dove out of the way as the wall of bone exploded in her direction thanks to a powerful _Bombarda Maxima_. The blast sent jagged shards of bone flying everywhere and Rhode hissed as she was peppered by them, cutting her on her exposed face and neck. Thankfully, none of the larger ones had impaled her.

She didn't let the pain bother her though, as she tried to close the distance with the lich once more. With his superior repertoire of spells, fighting him at range put her at a severe disadvantage.

He wasn't going to make it easy though and sent a barrage of those spirit shaped spells her way. Raising the Shield of Achilles over her head, and trusting in the armor effect of her runes, she powered through the barrage even as the spells exploded all around her and filled the area with miasma. Rhode fought through the bone chilling sensation and as she finally noticed, the stamina draining effect of the sickly green fog too.

She _had_ to get closer to the lich. Rhode refused to back down, she couldn't.

The lich was doing its darnedest to make her change her mind however as he began mixing up his spells, adding in the odd _Confringo_ and _Bombarda_ , while simultaneously floating away from her. Rhode just began zigzagging to throw off its aim and continued charging.

 _I'm not making progress._ Rhode noted with a frown. _Gotta try another approach._

Concentrating, she glared over the edge of her shield. Focusing on the ground behind Voldemort, she reached out to the groundwater trapped beneath the earth.

Careful to avoid catching the lich's attention, Rhode formed a small glob of water behind the Dark Tosser.

"Eat this, you fucking lifeless prick!" Rhode taunted as she called a small tidal wave's worth of water out from in front of the floating skeleton. Predictably, the lich responded quickly. With a cry of " _Incendio Murum_ (Incendio Wall)", it drew a line in front of him with his wand. Immediately, a wall of white hot flames taller than her wave sprung into being and easily blocked her attack.

 _Just as planned._ Rhode mused with a victorious smirk as the glob of water she'd been forming behind the bony jerk leapt into the air and shot at him at the speed of a bullet.

Distracted, by her frontal assault, Voldemort was caught completely unawares as the water bullet hit the back of his skull, shattered the bone and ripped through the front before flying through the air to splash harmlessly against her chest.

"Boom. Headshot." Rhode grinned viciously as she pounced on the staggering lich.

Spellbound's blades sliced through the bone with ease. He raised his wand to cast something at her, but Rhode just cut his whole hand off.

"Nope. My turn, Tommy-Boy."

Twirling, jabbing, slicing, and bashing, Rhode didn't relent until he was a pile of splintered bone chips.

The jaw of the skull warbled, as if he was trying to speak one final time.

Rhode just stomped it beneath her heel.

_Like Hades I'm listening to some damn speech about revenge and other shit._

As his body stopped twitching, the bulk of the undead army stilled before most of the skeletons and inferi suddenly just collapsed. Seeing the writing on the wall, the remaining undead turned to flee. Skeleton lords with the handful of their retinues that remained standing fought desperately to make it to the relative safety of the Forbidden Forest. The massive undead giants following suit. The vampires just melted into the night and disappeared. In the air, the lone surviving skeletal dragon broke off the dogfight it was having with the mechanical knight and flew away at top speed, evading pursuing fire through impressive aerial acrobatics.

Rhode ignored all that, instead leaning down to pick up the wand that Voldemort had been using. As she did, she felt a pulse of power from it. As if it was whispering to her, calling to her.

The child of Poseidon ignored it as she pointed at the bone pile.

" _Incendio_."

And thus, Tom Marvelo Riddle was cremated.

"May you rest and not fuck up someone else's life, you asshole."

Her fiery aura bled away as her phone buzzed in her pocket, even as the defenders erupted into cheers. Ignoring the idiot wizards, Rhode flipped open the device to see that she'd gained the contact for Athena, goddess of Wisdom and Honorable Battle.

_Bethy's mum, huh? Must have impressed her with my plan during the fight._

The daughter of Poseidon was distracted from further contemplation on the matter when a throng of wizards came forward to congratulate her for defeating Voldemort.

Rhode let them have their moment, she was wiped out. Though she couldn't help the sinking feeling that they were gonna be annoying as hell from now onwards.

She just _had_ to be a hero twice to the Wizarding World, didn't she?

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always.
> 
> Wow, and I mean wow. I think this is the most epic fight we've offered up to Voldie since the start of these trilogies.
> 
> Nameless: I think this might be the most epic battle we've written so far.
> 
> What I really enjoyed was showing how unnerving Voldie can be without his ego. Seriously, it was only holding him back. Still, in the end he was just a sad little mortal not willing to move on because of said ego. In the end he became a monster for it.
> 
> Nameless: Yup. He always struck me as needing a little more pragmatism to cross the line from cartoonish bad guy (after having seen much better villains that's how canon Voldemort appears to me) to serious villain. That said, time to do my duty and drop some lore:
> 
> The mechanical knight is basically Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn. More details will be revealed in the next chapter.
> 
> The stitched together corpse golem is an Abomination from Warcraft 3, as are super zombies which are Ghouls. The skeletal dragons were Frost Wyrms of course and lastly, Voldemort's appearance was based on a Warcraft Lich.
> 
> The wraiths are basically evolved versions of poltergeists. They can go fully ghost i.e. dematerialize and become immune to magic and physical attacks (something poltergeists can't do in our verse but ghosts can), but can also materialize and freely interact with the physical world (something that ghosts can't do). They like to dress up like the grim reaper and use scythes. At least the ones Voldemort recruited did.
> 
> Voldemort's Death Magic spells come from Warcraft and Overlord (anime). They are in Arabic (thank you Google Translate) as a homage to the Necronomicon, the most famous grimoire of forbidden knowledge in pop culture. How does it do that? Well, the Necronomicon was originally written in Arabic by the half-mad Arab Alhazred. At least that's the fictional origin as outlined by H.P. Lovecraft, the guy who first conceived of the foul text.
> 
> We used different perspective to show off the battle. We have demigod, mortal, and a villain one. But whoo! That battle, right guys? We had young wizards stepping up, we have our demigod heroes fighting outside a Capture the Flag event, and deaths. Dear lord the deaths! Ah, I love killing major characters. Hope you enjoyed how we had Rhode go about this. Calling Ares was a grueling task, but that's just how Rhode is. Everything she has at her disposal is a tool to survive, even if she has to stomach the god of war. At least Athena appreciated her thinking, huh? Or was it to spite Ares? Who knows.
> 
> Nameless: Hopefully people won't accuse us for being too dark over this. I mean we foreshadowed this since we first showed Voldemort's necropolis! Why else do you think he'd need to build an undead army except to fight some massive battle that would lead to a ton of dead people? So if you find the story suddenly too dark for you after this battle then you really have no one to blame but yourself. Mean, yes, but I'm damn tired of people complaining about the story being dark when we clearly signpost that's exactly what's it's going to be well in advance.
> 
> Hopefully, but there will always be that one guy.
> 
> Nameless: I know. [pouts]
> 
> Well you guys know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! Now, no flames and peace off my peeps!


	12. My Aftermath Diary

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Twelve: My Aftermath Diary**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

The survivors from Hogwarts were cheering, and Rhode was okay with it for a moment. But they didn't seem to want to stop.

 _Did they not notice that the battle isn't over?_ The exhausted demigod thought to herself as she tried to push past the crowd that had surrounded her to go help mop up the fleeing remnants of Voldemort's army. She wasn't making much progress, the wizards kept getting in her way and asked to shake her hand or even hug her in thanks.

Rhode was getting seriously pissed off and was about to call up some groundwater to push the lot of them away from her, when her phone beeped to indicate a new message.

"I've got to get this." Rhode shouted to the raucous crowd, as she fished out her cell. Amazingly, the wizards seemed to respect her wishes and backed off a little. Though the slightly glazed look in their eyes seemed to indicate they didn't do this entirely voluntarily.

 _Probably the work of whichever god sent the text._ The daughter of Poseidon reasoned. He or she probably wanted her to reply right away and didn't want to wait for her to get rid of the pesky wizards before doing so.

_Rhode, recover Riddle's wand. It is my Death Stick. Also, now that you have all three of my Hallows, return it alongside my Resurrection Stone and Cloak of Invisibility. I will reward you for doing so. - Thanatos_

Rhode blinked in confusion at that. Voldemort's wand was a divine weapon of Thanatos'? And what was the Resurrection Stone? The stone that used to be Riddle's Horcrux? The god of death did mention it used to be his.

She made a note to herself to send the first two, but she wasn't really willing to give up the cloak. It allowed her divine family to visit her and she wasn't going to give that up.

Rhode was pulled from her thoughts when the first of the prisoners were led at wand point to the castle. A dozen disheveled looking Death Eaters were bound together by their wrists with lengths of thick rope and marched through the defenders while escorted by twice their number of armed wizards. As they passed, the crowds spat on them, treating them like the scum they were.

This returned awareness of her surroundings meant that the daughter of Poseidon could feel the gazes of everyone around her. Glancing around, she saw the awed looks sent her way.

Once again, she was the hero of the Wizarding World for ending Voldidick once and for all.

And Rhode hated it.

_What a joke. They were mocking me for months and now they all want to rub elbows with me? This place is filled with hypocrites._

Ignoring them, she instead surveyed the battlefield instead and saw the last of the enemies on the field were all either surrendering in the case of Death Eaters or being wiped out if they were undead. Though from the number of corpses, Rhode counted that a good number of the undead giants at least had escaped. _And if they did, then so did some of those lead skeletons. Pretty sure at least one of the skeletal dragons got away too._

Great, she hoped that the magicals would at least track them down later. Gods know what harm they'll cause the countryside. Running a hand through her hair, she couldn't help think about what a mess this battle would leave behind.

 _Though to be fair to the wizards_ , Rhode noted, _the Aurors just got decimated in the battle. And I can't exactly expect the average magical that stepped up to fight to defend themselves to go gallivanting the countryside after them._

Her survey also showed her friends were all safe and she breathed a sigh of relief at that. She was tempted to go to them but seeing what little authority that remained was rounding up the wounded, the demigod decided to go see if she could lend a hand. They needed her more at the moment.

* * *

After getting properly rehydrated, Rhode moved to aid in the relief effort.

Using her power with water, the demigod healed the injuries of those she could. She had aided a number of the magicals, often giving them some advice to not get hit again while healing them from some rather nasty injuries. They didn't seem to appreciate her scolding but didn't comment since she was healing them.

She was currently healing one of the older students who had gotten an arrow in his shoulder.

"Looks like it was a clean hit. Alright, bite the towel." Rhode said, holding it out for the boy. He did so and she snapped the end of the shaft. Reaching around his back, she pulled out the arrow and the boy screamed into the towel that she'd pushed into his mouth as a makeshift gag. Using water, she pulled out any splinters that may have remained.

Once the wound was clean, the daughter of Poseidon began to heal it with a blob of water. Under the ministrations of her power, his skin slowly knitted closed, leaving unblemished if slightly raw looking flesh behind.

"Alright, you're good. Get some ice for the soreness and remember to duck for cover against arrows. Next!"

The boy stumbled away, looking at her with wide confused eyes at her cavalier attitude towards injury and a girl with burn marks on her leg came up.

"Fire or acid?" Rhode asked clinically.

"Um, f-fire spell." The Hufflepuff sniffled and winced as she laid down.

"Yours or the enemy?"

"M-Mine." The older girl confessed while hanging her head.

Rhode gingerly grabbed the leg and examined it. It was only a first degree burn at worst so it wasn't that big of a deal. "Alright, there shouldn't be much scarring. Just remember to _aim_ at your target and not yourself. More productive that way."

The girl frowned at her, but the demigod ignored her. Guiding the water, Rhode soothed the afflicted area, the girl hissed at the contact of cold water with her sensitive skin. Slowly, the burn marks faded and the pain the girl felt ebbed away.

"Alright, just remember wand up, not down. Even while running."

The older girl stalked off at that.

"Next!" Rhode said as she turned around for her next patient.

"Miss Evans, a word?" Audrey said sternly as she walked over.

"Can't this wait?" Rhode asked with a frown as her next patient stood back. "There are still people who are injured."

The psychic just shook her head and radiated disapproval. "Now please."

The daughter of the seas was tempted to refuse, but the battle had given her an up close demonstration of just what the psychics could pull off. She really didn't want to upset her and start a fight, not with so many wounded all around them. So it was with great reluctance that Rhode followed after the pregnant woman as she headed to a suspiciously empty corner of the Great Hall.

"What was that about?" Rhode hissed in a harsh whisper when the two were alone. She might be cautious around the psychics but she was not going to give the impression that she was a pushover either.

"Your bedside manner." The orangette said pointedly.

The daughter of Poseidon just blinked in confusion.

The older woman just sighed and muttered something under her breath about battlemaniacs, before leveling Rhode with a serious look. "Look, Miss Evans, you were upsetting the people you were healing and making them uncomfortable. They've suffered enough. So please stop with the cutting commentary."

"Ugh, fine. I was just trying to help." Rhode grumbled uncharitably. "These idiots really need to learn how to fight better."

"They aren't demigods." Audrey explained with a look that was a cross between annoyance and sympathy. "For many of them, this is likely the only time in their lives they'll ever need to fight for their lives. So you cannot impose your standards on them."

 _Then they need to learn to toughen up!_ The demigoddess thought to herself but wisely did not say, though how useful that was against a mind reader even with her new Occlumency barriers was up for debate.

Instead, she just nodded grudgingly and upon receiving a wave as dismissal, walked back to continue her healing.

* * *

As chance would have it, Rhode had barely finished healing another patient when the healers from St. Mungo's arrived. The wizarding healers immediately took over the operation, forcing Rhode to stop and insisting on getting her checked out. The demigoddess humored them, but was fully intent on getting back into helping the injured when they were done. Unfortunately for her plans, the brunette had just finished getting examined by a mediwitch when Audrey put a firm restraining hand on her arm.

"What now?" The demigoddess demanded gruffly.

Unfazed, the woman just looked at her with a stony expression. "Leave this to the professionals, Miss Evans. Now that they're here, there's a good chance you'll end up getting in their way. Especially considering how exhausted you are."

"I'm no-" Rhode denied heatedly, only to be interrupted by a yawn.

The psychic just raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Fine, so I am a _little_ tired."

"Then perhaps you could do with a little rest?"

It rankled her that this woman was acting as if she was her _mother_ , but the demigoddess had to agree. She was coming off the adrenaline high of the battle and was starting to feel the effects of exhaustion start to set in. The call of Morpheus was feeling stronger and stronger as the seconds ticked by.

"I'm not going to bed like a little girl!"

The Interpol agent just sighed.

"Heavens forbid." The woman said sarcastically. "Well, if you won't head up to bed then at least you can stop using your powers and draining yourself further."

Rhode barely heard her, as her attention was caught by even more mediwizards arriving. She looked almost longingly towards the many wounded that were now being swarmed by medical wizards.

Catching the look, Audrey continued. "And to reduce the temptation to do so, how about a walk?"

"Huh?" The demigoddess mouthed in surprise as the woman took a light hold of her arm and guided her out of the Hall.

"Just follow me." The psychic said in an eerily compelling voice.

* * *

They ended up standing around the kneeling form of the black mechanical knight that had showed up midway during the battle. Rhode was unsurprised to find her fellow Campers crowded around the machine. The thing had proven itself incredibly powerful and was thus a major threat, even if it did look like it was on their side for now. That could change at any minute though and her friends knew it, hence them keeping a wary eye on it.

Though only Su made it look obvious. While she was playing the straight man the boys, well, they were being boys.

"Does it have a laser sword? Please tell me it has a laser sword!" Lee asked the pilot. He was a tall man in a thick looking bodysuit. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, and his classically aristocratic features, he was quite handsome.

"Man, did you see it dancing up there? That was some Top Gun action, but with a robot."

Shaking her head at their antics, Rhode also noticed that they were remarkably alone in their little patch of the grounds. There was literally no else besides the demigods, the psychics and the machine's pilot around.

_Come to think of it, I haven't been swarmed by ass kissers either even though after_ _everything that's what I'd expect to happen. Was it all their doing?_

Catching Rhode's eye, Audrey winked and a whisper filled her mind. _We thought you'd appreciate a little break from the inevitable adulation._

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Audrey replied with a smile, before walking over to greet the pilot.

Following behind her, Rhode caught a bit of the conversation the tall blonde man was having with Banagher. All while the two were stoically ignoring Jack and Lee's fanboying.

"Riddhe, why didn't you pursue that second skeletal dragon?"

"I would have," the pilot explained. "But unfortunately Banshee took too much damage. Those dragons' freezing breath caused quite a few of its internal systems to fail. I'm honestly surprised I managed to last to the end of the battle at all."

"Hopefully the magicals take care of it." Rhode couldn't help but comment, "Gods know what that thing will do to the countryside."

"Probably what its kind has been doing for centuries." Banagher replied. "Find a secluded place to lair and wait out the ages. Perhaps launch the occasional raid on some isolated village if it gets bored. Undead dragons are rare, but hardly a new phenomenon."

The daughter of Poseidon felt bad for anyone unlucky enough to run afoul of that monster.

"Banagher, who's this?" The pilot asked while pointing at Rhode.

"Riddhe, this is Rhode Evans, daughter of Poseidon." Audrey introduced as she wrapped herself around her husband's left arm. "Miss Evans, this is-"

"Please allow me." The man, Riddhe apparently, cut in. "My name is Riddhe Marcenas, Newtype, agent of the Organisation. Currently seconded to Interpol. And this," gesturing to his machine he continued. "Is my Mobile Suit, the Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn."

Eying the machine more closely, Rhode could admire the detailed workmanship that must have went into it. There was golden filigree - or at least she thought that was what it was - that made up intricate patterns through the frame of the machine, all of which glowed with a faint light that she recognised as the visible aura that the psychics gave off when they were using their powers in a major way. Beyond that there was also plenty of ornamentation that just screamed intimidating.

"So it's like a Megazord?"

"More like a Veritech or VOTOM." Banagher offered unhelpfully. Rhode didn't know what either of those things were.

"You are close enough, Miss Evans." Audrey offered kindly while smacking her husband lightly on the arm.

"Well, whatever it is, it's a cool machine. Or as my friend Gaige would put it, so metal." Rhode replied cheerfully, ignoring the man's correction. "It was a great help fighting Tommy Boy's army."

"I'm glad you like it, Miss Evans." Riddhe told her with a proud smile.

"How did it get here at such a timely juncture though?" Su cut in suspiciously as she finally gave up on trying to glare the boys into being serious and chose to join the conversation instead.

"When the undead attacked, Banagher sent me a telepathic message requesting reinforcements." The aforementioned man nodded in agreement at this. "I came over as soon as I could from my base in Austria. Though I was delayed slightly when I was forced by my superiors to coincide my arrival with the British Ministry's _troops_ ," the way he sneered the word was clear proof of how inadequate he felt the Aurors were. "Not that it helped them much."

Rhode nodded in agreement, it was a _joke_ what the Wizarding World considered an army.

"You were delayed and still managed to get here from _Austria_ in time to help?" Su asked incredulously.

The blonde shrugged. "Of course. It was only a short orbital hop and well within the Banshee's ability. Frankly, I spent more time waiting for the wizards to get organised than travelling here."

"Su let's not question everything they do for today. We won. We can doubt them all we want tomorrow." Rhode said before covering her mouth and letting out a yawn.

"That's if they're here tomorrow." Lee said as he finally got himself under control enough to talk without sounding like an obsessed fanboy.

The three psychics exchanged looks.

"You _are_ planning to just disappear and not answer the wizards' questions, aren't you?"

"It's for the sake of Operational Security." Audrey informed them apologetically. "There is a high chance the British Wizards might become our enemies, so we have orders to avoid letting them know our full capabilities as much as possible. Leaving before they can ask questions is the simplest way to do so in this situation."

"You aren't going to Men in Black us, are you?"

"Are the Olympians going to be our enemies, Miss Evans?" Banagher asked with an amused smile.

"Hell no." Rhode smirked, "I like you a whole lot more than the wizards."

Riddhe laughed at that, "I like her."

"So you can answer our questions?" Lee asked insistently.

"Checking out our potential as threats, Mister Jordan? I approve." Riddhe said with a smile, startling Lee with the use of his name. Apparently while Rhode and her friends had been fishing for details about them, the psychics had been exchanging notes telepathically.

"You can't be seriously thinking of picking a fight with these guys!" Jack shouted. "They have mecha!"

"And we _need_ to know how!" Lee pressed. "So mind telling us?"

"It's magitech. An amalgam of magic and technology to achieve something that surpasses the current limits of both." Riddhe explained.

"And how did you develop this 'magitech'?" Su asked, getting onto the interrogate the dangerous psychics bandwagon.

"We developed a lot of it ourselves. The rest we traded for. The Olympians know about it. Hell, your smith god helped design some of our equipment simply for drawing his interest." Banagher picked up the explanation, sounding genuinely confused that the demigods didn't already know this.

"Sounds like him." Lee nodded in agreement.

"I take it from your reactions that this is not common knowledge for you?" Audrey asked with a frown.

All four demigods shook their heads.

"The Olympians never change do they?" Riddhe asked rhetorically while shaking his head in bemusement.

"No, but what do you expect?" Jack scoffed, a bitter look in his eyes.

Rhode looked at him sadly and added, "We didn't even know who you guys were until the start of the school year."

"I see." Audrey said, her frown deepening.

Feeling playful, Rhode jokingly asked, "Do you guys hire interns?"

The child of the seas had just finished speaking when her exhaustion caught up to her once more and she rubbed her eyes. Seeing this, Audrey smiled.

"Perhaps it's time you head to bed."

"I think I can-" Rhode stopped as she saw the mischievous smile on the woman's face.

Before Rhode could even think about what that meant, her entire world went black.

When the daughter of Poseidon opened her eyes, she found herself on a bed in her dorm room.

"That sneaky little…"

Shaking her head, Rhode just went back to bed.

She was too tired for this.

* * *

With the Great Hall in ruins after the battle, breakfast for the castle's residents was served in their various dormitories or rooms. Their number was much reduced from just the night before however not only due to the many casualties but also because after the traumatic experience many students had chosen to head home early rather than stay another instant at the school. With the staff gutted in the fighting, there was no one to stop them.

There was also no one to stop Rhode and her fellow demigods - including Jack who had woke up from being knocked out by Audrey in Lee's dorm room - as they headed to the Room of Requirement. In fact, there was practically no one in the castle at all. It was thus surrounded by an unsettling silence that the four Campers carried their food up to their base of operations to review what had happened.

After sharing a reserved breakfast in the small dining room conjured up by the Room, the heroes got down to work.

"As expected the Burnes and their friend have disappeared without a trace." Lee informed the group as he read through his copy of the Daily Prophet for any information they might have missed about the battle. "So there's no chance of getting anything else out of them."

"No surprise there. They did say they'd pull a disappearing act." Jack snorted, sipping from his mug of coffee. By his grumpy mood, it was clear he didn't have a good night's sleep.

"Bad dreams?" Rhode asked concerned.

Jack shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe? If they were, it's nothing I can remember clearly."

The daughter of the seas shifted her chair so that she was sitting next to him and wrapped her arm comfortingly around his shoulders earning herself a grateful smile from the boy in response.

Su stabbed her fork into her eggs harshly, a frown on her face.

"I have the herbs for a Potion for Dreamless Sleep. Need it?" The Ravenclaw offered, surprisingly harshly.

"I think I can manage for now. It was just typical nightmare stuff. Visions of my mother and creepy voices from the abyss, that kind of thing. Thanks for the offer though."

"Wait, voices from where?" Rhode paled. She prayed her suspicions that her grandfather was reaching out to the disillusioned son of Khione were wrong as she asked, "What did… it ask?"

Jack shrugged, "I don't remember, it was a dream."

"Because demigods have 'normal' dreams." The tall brunette snorted, having a bite of her toast.

The white haired boy frowned, "True, but I don't see the problem here."

"It is a problem, voices from an abyss are never good."

Rhode didn't like to show fear, it made her look weak but when it could be her grandfather…

Jack didn't get her worry or her fear though, instead he shrugged her arm off her shoulder and pushed his chair away from her.

Rhode leaned away, blinking in surprise.

"So you don't trust my judgement?" Jack asked defensively. "You think I can't tell a demigod dream apart from a normal one? Huh!?"

"I didn't say that! I'm just worried. I-I've had…" She trailed off, looking down at her food. She didn't want to bring up her grandfather. It was a nasty nightmare of her own that had been plaguing Rhode for years.

Jack calmed down a little, even looked a little concerned at Rhode's reaction, but he nevertheless stubbornly added. "Rhode, don't try to tell me what to do."

Rhode bit down her response, no matter what she said Jack would just make a fight out of it.

"Jack, don't take that tone with Rhode." Su told the boy warningly, Helel's vines sneaking out of her shirt sleeves.

Jack looked ready to snap at her and Rhode jumped in, "It's fine, Su. Let's just continue. Lee, what do we know?"

Su looked like she swallowed a lemon and Jack's frosty attitude seemed to lessen, but not by much. When Rhode tried to get closer to him, Jack leaned away, a frown on his face.

Eying the others warily, Lee put down the paper and reported his findings. "Not sure how reliable the Prophet is, since all the reports on the battle were by Skeeter."

"So she lived?" Rhode asked, blinking in honest surprise. "Well, here's hoping getting caught in a warzone will get her to stop being a bitch."

Su nodded in agreement, even as her pet Devil's Snare's vines continued to peek out of her sleeves.

Picking up the paper, Rhode read the title; _Our Twice Savior_.

"Please don't tell me I'm going to be called that?" Rhode asked exasperatedly.

Lee shrugged. "Maybe, or they might come up with something catchier. Besides that, they are also awarding you the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Rhode groaned, planting her face next to her breakfast.

"Anything actually useful in that paper?" Jack cut in cooly.

"The muggles claimed a big chunk of the credit and the whole country is still on edge over whether Voldemort 'faked' his death again."

"Kind of hard after you sunder someone's soul." The daughter of Poseidon said after picking up her face from the table and propping her chin against one arm. Trying to do something to distract her other fidgety hand, she began spearing the remnants of her breakfast and nibbling on them. All the while she snuck glances at Jack.

"I think they deserve the credit, don't you?" Su offered, even as she continued to eye the son of Khione with a dark look. "They did manage to do a better job during the battle than the wizards, and with less people. Even Father thinks so."

"Speaking of your dad, how is he?" Rhode asked, suddenly remembering that Su's father was a Auror.

"He's fine. I checked in with him last night. He wasn't even in the battle and was instead stuck in London protecting the Ministry in case the attack on Hogwarts 'was only a distraction'." The daughter of Demeter said, adding air quotes to the last four words.

"Seriously?" Jack asked, as he gave a halfhearted laugh. "Like the regular mortals would let the undead attack London. They have mecha for Gods' sake. I betcha if the dead marched on London then they'll meet a Macross Missile Massacre."

Lee rolled his eyes, "The Ministry likes to think they're self-important like that."

"We do need someone to run our affairs, even if they are utterly incompetent."

"Talking about incompetence," Jack said, his voice chilling once more as he returned to his hostile staring match with Su. "Are things this off the walls every year?"

"Something always happens." Rhode sadly nodded.

"Only after these two showed up." Lee said gesturing to the two girls. "But even then, things were never this crazy."

"Ahem! I think we're getting sidetracked here." Su said, with a clearing of her throat. "Back on topic, there is a lot of tension between the Government and the Ministry. There always has been, but it's skyrocketed after this incident."

Rhode waved her hand in the air, "It's not like it's our problem."

"We have three more years in Hogwarts, Rhode. It may very well come to a head during that time."

"Please," Rhode scoffed, "After I take my OWLs, I'm out of here. This place is too crazy, even for me. Maybe we can go on a trip after I'm done?"

Rhode offered Jack with a hopeful smile, but the boy just ignored her.

"Rhode, take this seriously," Lee frowned, joining Su's side of the situation. The daughter of Demeter stabbed her fork into her food, her plate clicking loudly as she used way too much strength.

"The Government is demanding the kind of oversight for the Ministry like the other nations have. And _that's_ something the Wizengamot will fight tooth and nail against."

Rhode just looked at them in confusion.

"Audrey explained this Rhode." Su said, exasperated.

The daughter of Poseidon blushed at being caught being forgetful but nevertheless shook her head to show she didn't know what Su was talking about.

With a resigned sigh, the daughter of Demeter began to explain. "After World War Two and how Grindelwald manipulated things behind the scenes, the muggle governments decided to end wizarding autonomy. Ever since, with a few exceptions like Britain, they have been in charge of most countries' Ministries of Magic or their equivalents. The Brunes coming here? They came to keep an eye on Beauxbatons and Durmstrang for their respective governments."

"I don't get it. I mean if they had just some better oversight maybe then Voldemort's undead uprising wouldn't have happened."

Jack nodded, "I hear that."

Lee rubbed his face, "The muggles make that argument all the time. Hell, a lot of British magicals feel the same too."

"However," Su added in, "the Wizengamot won't give up it's independence easily." The daughter of Demeter shifted nervously, "Especially the radicals. In fact, they may do something stupid as a means of retaliation."

Jack scoffed and Rhode shrugged with disinterest.

"As long as we stay out of it, there won't be a problem for us." The daughter of Poseidon commented dismissively.

"And what happens when we get caught up in this budding war?" Su asked warily.

Rhode was silent at that, unsure of what to say.

Why would she even try to stay if that ever happened?

"If it comes to that, well, we fight until we can get out. Just because the magicals want to bring hell on themselves doesn't mean we should fight their battles for them."

"I hope we get to make that choice." Lee said uneasily. "I'm not sure we will."

**0 line breaks 0**

It was lunchtime that same day, and Rhode was moping around the Gryffindor Common Room. After their argument, Jack had left Hogwarts while still giving her the cold shoulder. Despite the best efforts of Lee and Su to cheer her up, she couldn't help but feel down. Not that most of her housemates noticed, they were all feeling so gloomy after the battle that she fit right in.

Ironically that was a first.

 _I really hope I didn't upset him too much. He's been upset too often lately._ Rhode thought to herself sadly as she grabbed some lunch from the buffet spread that the House Elves had laid out.

She was just sitting down next to Lee to eat her meal when the Fat Lady's Portrait swung open to reveal Professor Snape. The entrance of the Head of Slytherin into Gryffindor Tower was enough of a shock that even the downcast lions perked up enough to take notice.

Worried faces looked at him and no one said a thing.

Rhode decided to bite the bullet and ask the question on everyone's mind.

"Hello Professor Snape. Do you need anything?"

"Miss Evans, please come with me. There are a couple of people from the Ministry who would like to have a word with you."

_Greaaat. More brown nosers and press. Just what I need._

Deciding not to keep the bureaucrats waiting, she pushed aside her untouched lunch. The demigoddess didn't have much of an appetite anyways.

Perhaps reading her mood, Snape offered her a encouraging smile. "No need to worry. I'll be there as well."

"At least someone there won't be an idiot."

The usually sour looking Professor quirked an amused smirk at that. "Quite."

He was a lot more expressive today. Probably all the stress of what happened just made him forgo his usual mask.

 _Which is a good thing. I'm glad at least something is going well for someone._ Rhode mused as she recalled how crappy her day had been so far. Not only had she had a fight with her maybe boyfriend, but she had something of an argument with a god too.

Shortly after Jack had headed home, Rhode had used a hearth the Room of Requirement conjured to return Thanatos' wand and stone to the god.

The cloak however, Rhode had kept for herself.

In fact, because she had not returned it to him when she had returned the other two Hallows, the god had literally called her to see what was stopping her.

The god of death had thanked her for returning his artifacts after nearly one thousand years. Though he had mentioned he would not reward her until the cloak was returned as well. She had refused.

He had replied that in lieu of her help to him thus far, the god would not pursue the matter further. Sadly, he would not look at her favorably like he had so far either. The cloak was to be her reward for now. And of course, there was the unsaid but clear underlying threat in his words. If Rhode dared to pass the cloak down to someone else, Thanatos promised he would collect it. By whatever means he wished.

 _I really need to stop being selfish, but… I still want to see Dad._ Rhode thought. The cloak was what allowed her Father to visit her secretly. It was childish and a bad move, but it was something that could give her one of the few things that the child of the seas wanted in her life: A relationship with her only parent.

She couldn't give the cloak up.

A sigh escaped her lips, making Snape raise a brow at her.

"Just, processing it all."

"Your heroism?"

Rhode rolled her sea green orbs, "Come on, I ended the Voldibitch because I could. Anyone else with the power would have too."

"You give normal people _far_ too much credit." He commented, eying her with respect, "Though it is good to see this hasn't swollen your head."

Any further conversation was forestalled as they reached the gargoyle that protected the Headmaster's office, something it seemed the potions professor inherited after taking over after Dumbledore had fallen. With a few words, the gargoyle sprang to the side.

"So you're the new Headmaster?"

"For now." Snape nodded as they climbed onto the moving spiral staircase and let it carry them up to the office proper. "Though the Board and the Ministry will probably appoint someone else to take the post on a permanent basis."

"You are too pessimistic, Severus." A serious looking square-jawed witch with close-cropped grey hair and a monocle informed the man as they entered the office area.

"Only speaking the truth, Madame Bones." Snape replied. "They still think me a Death Eater."

"Not after you killed a dozen of the bastards last night." A tall, broad shouldered and bald black wizard with a fierce gleam in his eyes said. "And not if I have anything to say about it."

"Least we got a cleansing of the fuckers." Rhode muttered, "Please tell me we rounded them all up? Not in the mood for a round three with those morons."

"Miss Evans." Snape hissed, before addressing the other wizards. "Apologies Madame Bones, Kingsley, Miss Evans is still a little rattled."

"Sorry. Tired. No filter." Rhode apologized the best she could, rubbing her eyes a bit. She stood straighter and did her best to act presentable. In a tee-shirt and a pair of jeans. Great, Emily was going to scold her if she heard about this.

"It's no problem, Miss Evans." The woman said, "After what happened it is understandable. I am Madame Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry and this is Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of my senior Aurors. It is a pleasure to meet you in person at long last."

Rhode didn't relax and kept herself formal, it was the best she could do to apologize to Snape for making him look bad.

"A pleasure to meet you both too. Wish it was under better circumstances."

"Indeed." The black magical officer said in a deep reassuring voice. "Though you helped to ensure the tragedy didn't become worse than it already is. For that you have my sincerest thanks."

At that the man stood and gave her a bow.

Standing, Madame Bones offered, "On behalf of the Ministry, myself and all of Wizarding Britain as well."

She too offered the demigoddess a bow.

The daughter of Poseidon flushed at the thanks and managed to weakly reply, "I just did what needed to be done."

The moment was just getting awkward when Snape cut into it by clearing his throat. "Why don't we all take our seats and get this interview started shall we? I do believe that Miss Evans has yet to have her lunch."

"Would you like us to call the Elves to bring you something, Miss Evans?" Shacklebolt asked as everyone took their seats.

"Nah. No appetite at the moment." Rhode confessed, to worried looks from the adults. Snape gave the Ministry personnel a nod though and they didn't press. _He probably silently promised to make sure I eat or something._

"Before you ask your questions, can I ask whether we know how many died yet?" Rhode had to ask, even if just thinking about the topic made a knot form in her stomach. She didn't want to reflect on it, but it was her first major battle. The worry about whether she could have saved more lives if she'd fought better had been eating at her. It was a silly thought, lives would always be lost on the battlefield, but a small part of Rhode hoped she made a difference.

"The full count is not in, but we have a rough estimate. Around four, five hundred souls perished."

The demigod uttered a small prayer to those going to the Underworld. The knot in her stomach tightened.

"Right." Rhode said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "So questions? I'll answer to the best of my ability."

"Yes," Madame Bones nodded. "We need to establish, as best as possible, what happened. We have had quite a few conflicting accounts. Understandable considering the situation, but still something that we need to clarify."

"Some of them were quite fantastical." Shacklebolt added. "Some are saying you did some impossible things like creating and shaping water and ice without a wand and using, of all things, a trident as a weapon instead of a wand. Yet at the same time, most people remember you fighting like a normal witch."

Rhode blinked a few times in confusion. The Mist must have played a part in that, a bit, but the goddess of the Mist - Hecate - wasn't exactly known for being _that_ generous. So this probably wasn't her doing, at least not entirely.

_Maybe Audrey messed with their heads. Can't have witnesses to demigods and psychics or their crazy powers too. Looks like she didn't get everyone though._

"I was just fighting for my life, you know. I was just flinging whatever spell came to my head at the time. I think I even used the Bat-Bogey Hex at one point, though that didn't do anything."

The wizards chuckled at that. Well all except Snape, who seemed preoccupied with glaring into a shadowy corner of the office.

Rhode's eyes followed his line of sight, frowning at the feeling of being observed even as she continued to give her statement.

"It was just a blur, I can't remember all the spells I used or how it looked to people who saw me. It was hectic after all. No doubt one spell could be confused for another with the mix of spells going off." She shrugged, "That's all I can say I think."

"And your fight with Voldemort?" Madame Bones asked.

"I slashed him to bits with a spell that Professor Snape taught me."

Both Ministry wizards turned to the Hogwarts Professor. "I taught her quite a few spells and bits of magic for the purposes of the Tournament. I'm willing to give you a list later."

"Then I torched him. You know, like in the movies. You always, always light them up."

"That can't be all!" A voice shouted from the shadowy corner as a new wizard shimmered into sight, pulling off his invisibility cloak in the process. Even without it, he had to be wearing some kind of disguise charm because try as she might, Rhode couldn't even pin his features down. He just came across as plain.

"Voldemort had transformed himself into a lich. Normal magic wouldn't have killed him unless applied to his phylactery."

"I guess he must have brought it with him and I got a lucky shot?"

"That isn't it! We've checked and it wasn't there."

"I turned him to ash." Rhode said, acting casual, "Maybe it's blowing in the wind."

"There would still be traces! Now, tell me!" The man said advancing towards Rhode. "Tell me how you did-"

"This is not an interrogation. Mind your tongue." Snape coldly told the man, standing tall against the cloaked figure.

"Headmaster Snape is right, Unspeakable." Madame Bones informed the man coldly. "You may represent the Department of Mysteries and we have given you plenty of leeway so far because of that, but do not mistake our generosity for submission. This is _my_ interview and you will not interrupt it again."

The man took a step back as the older woman leveled a stern glare his way. "I'm sorry. It's just if we knew how then we could fight the living dead so much better."

Rhode tried for her best apologetic look, "Sorry buddy. I can't help you. I'm just a regular old witch. Nothing strange about me."

Yep, nothing strange about a blatant liar.

Snape barely withheld a snort. The others in the room didn't seem to believe her either but no one seemed willing to press the issue.

"Back to the matter at hand, Miss Evans, are you sure that's all you can remember?"

The demigod made a show of thinking hard on the matter before giving a firm nod.

"Combat is a hurricane and I was in the eye of it."

"Quite the apt metaphor, Miss Evans." Madame Bones acknowledged with a smile that greatly softened her serious face. "That I think covers it. Gentlemen?" She looked to Shacklebolt and the Unspeakable in turn. The Auror shook his head easily, while the latter did so more hesitantly.

"That being the case, Miss Evans, do you have any more questions for us?"

"Um yeah, so what happens to me now?" Rhode asked, hoping against hope that the wizards weren't going to blow the whole matter completely out of proportion.

"Well, there is talk about making a statue of you." Kingsley stroked his chin, his deep voice hinting at amusement.

"You're joking?" Rhode's jaw felt loose at the news.

"I do not."

The daughter of Poseidon groaned, "Great, just what I need. Immortalization."

"I'm afraid you're too late to avoid that, Miss Evans." Madame Bones said sounding amused at her attitude. "The statue might not be confirmed yet, but your Order of Merlin certainly has."

"Uh, that's some award right? Like the Medal of Honor?"

The Ministry wizards just looked confused, but Snape replied. "For the most part yes, though the Wizarding World offers far less awards then the American government does."

Madame Bones and the Unspeakable looked shocked at Snape's insightful reply, but Shacklebolt just looked amused.

"I always forget that you're a half-blood, Severus." The Auror said with a chuckle.

His Ministry colleagues looked even more surprised at that revelation.

Snape just shrugged, "I don't advertise that fact, Kingsley."

The Auror nodded, getting the message to not spread that fact around. Rhode took note of it too. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off the one Hogwarts Professor she actually got along with.

Madame Bones cleared her throat and retook command of the conversation. "As interesting as that tidbit of information is, and one which I'm sure will not be spread about," She looked pointedly at the Unspeakable who hastily nodded. "Shall we continue? I believe we're almost done."

Everyone gave signs of agreement.

Turning to the Rhode, the elderly witch asked. "Any more questions?"

The daughter of the seas shook her head.

"Then this interview is concluded. Do go and try to get something to eat, Miss Evans." Madame Bones said with a matronly smile, as she and Shacklebolt rose from their seats.

Rhode and Snape followed suit.

"Before you leave, Miss Evans, please accept our thanks again for what you did last night. You cannot fathom how much it means to us to know that Voldemort is finally dead." With that Madame Bones and her Ministry colleagues offered her another bow.

A blush came to her face, "I just did what felt like the right thing to do."

"And that's what makes a hero." Shacklebolt commented.

Blushing even more brightly, Rhode just nodded and let Snape guide her out of the office and back to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Rhode checked her robes in the mirror and fiddled with her hair. It was the day before the last day of the school year, the date that students would be going home. Well, technically it was a week earlier than planned and only a couple of days after what was already being called the Battle of Hogwarts, but considering the circumstances, no one was complaining.

"Stupid hair, be tame damn you!"

The demigoddess was nervous, there was going to be an awards ceremony to commemorate the Battle and its victims and she was going to be the star of the show.

The brunette didn't want to look like an idiot in front of hundreds of people.

Finally succeeding in taming the usually wind tossed locks, Rhode smiled at herself.

 _Huh, dressing up once in a blue moon ain't half bad. Just wish it wasn't with a robe._ The damn thing was incredibly unflattering, managing to cover up her spruced up Hogwarts uniform underneath entirely and hiding the miracle that Su had managed cleaning it up to make it look perfect.

"Rhode, you done?" Lee's voice called out from down in the Gryffindor Common Room. "The ceremony's starting in five."

"What?! I said to give me a ten minute warning!" Rhode shouted back as a swarm of butterflies took flight in her tummy. She couldn't help it. She was nervous as hell about receiving an award for the battle. On one hand she's glad to have saved the day. But on the other, she'd failed to save so many people.

"Not my fault you're doing your girl thing." Lee shouted back, oblivious to her nerves.

It was just the right thing to say though, as it stoked the embers of frustration in Rhode and distracted her from her worries. Glaring at him as she stormed out of her dorm, she hurried past him, "Whatever, come on. Su's probably pouting about how we're not there yet."

Lee chuckled, tailing her, "Or waiting to lecture us for being late."

* * *

As it turned out, the two demigods managed to make it to the ruins of the Great Hall where the ceremony was being held just in time. Though that didn't save them from a disappointed look from Su.

The daughter of Demeter had her arms crossed, a pout on her face as she said, "Do you realize you are at least a minute late?"

Rhode and Lee shared a look of amusement.

"No time to scold us, Su, the ceremony is starting." Lee informed the Chinese girl as he led the way to their assigned seats.

The ceremony was being held in a section of the Hall that had been cleared of rubble, but it was the only part of it that had been spruced. The rest was going to be deliberately left as is, blood stains and all, as a memorial to the Battle. Rhode honestly thought it was incredibly morbid but didn't comment. The wizards very clearly had a different set of sensibilities from the mundanes.

As they began reading out all the names of the victims and then engraving them onto the Hall's walls, Rhode shook her head to clear such thoughts from her mind. She needed to focus. Listening intently, the demigoddess did her best to memorize each and every one of those who died.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick she'd known about immediately since it was the reason why Snape had taken over as Headmaster. Others like Cho Chang, Ron and his twin brothers were a painful surprise though. They were innocents thrown into a warzone and died trying to fight the good fight.

Then there was people like Draco Malfoy who defied her expectations and instead of cowering in a corner or siding with the bad guys, had actually tried to do the right thing and paid the ultimate price for it.

Lastly, there were the complete innocents. Men, women and children who had died for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time and became victims of a madman's ambition.

Rhode mourned for all of them and swore she would remember them always.

_May they all find their proper place in the Underworld. Hope some go to Elysium._

After the reading of names, the Minister of Magic gave a speech that Rhode ignored as he blathered on about how great the Ministry was and how with its guidance they would pull through despite the tragedy.

Rhode was strongly tempted to rush the stage and slap the man for using something like this to spew Ministry propaganda. She managed to restrain herself however, doing something like would just make things even more disrespectful.

When the windbag was finally done, the awards part of the ceremony began.

"For exemplary bravery and the slaying of the Lich Lord Voldemort," the portly little man that was the Minister of Magic said as Rhode was escorted up the stage and next to him. "I'm honored to award Miss Rhode Evans, the Order of Merlin, First Class."

The Hall erupted into applause as the golden medal and green ribbon was pinned onto the demigod's robes.

Rhode nodded her head in thanks. She'd been offered a chance to speak after receiving her medal, but she'd declined. She wasn't really in the mood for it.

Su and Lee followed after her in turn, receiving Second Class medals before returning to join her in the seats. The only difference between their medals and her own were the words denoting the class of medal stamped into the gold and the color of the ribbon. Theirs being purple instead.

"And now for the Order of Merlin, Third Class! Ginevra Weasley."

The redhead walked up looking surprisingly happy for someone who had just lost three of her brothers. All she seemed to have eyes for was her girlfriend, Granger. It was a bit unnerving.

"Hermione Granger."

The muggleborn walked up to the stage sporting a proud grin and puffed her chest out to prominently to show off her white ribboned medal for all to see.

"Was it just me or was Ginny and Granger sporting matching engagement rings?" Lee whispered, incredulously.

Rhode nodded, she saw that too. The very idea of getting engaged so young boggled her mind. Especially after just living through something as traumatic as the Battle.

Su in contrast seem delighted by the sight and turned to glimpse at Rhode with a strange look.

Bewilderment settled upon Rhode at the look, unsure what her best friend was trying to tell her.

She was blessedly distracted from ponderings when the next name was called, "Cedric Diggory."

Cedric looked haggard as he slowly made his way to receive his reward. He looked dead on his feet, as if he hadn't gotten a good night of sleep for a while. Still, combined with his winning of the Tri-Wizard, Cedric was pretty much set for life. It wasn't much in the face of the loss of his girlfriend, but it was at least something of a silver lining.

"Colin Creevey."

The young boy practically was bouncing on his feet. He was the youngest to receive the award in generations and thus would be going down in the history books. Which was a pretty big deal, especially for a muggleborn. Rhode knew the muggleborns didn't really get good jobs unless they worked ridiculously hard, but Colin had proved his grit in the face of danger and no doubt would go far in the magical world.

The boy glanced at Rhode and she couldn't help but give him a positive nod.

The award ceremony continued, with a handful of other people that Rhode didn't know - other Hogwarts students, Ministry functionaries, and students and staff from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. - being given the Third Class medal. They deserved it if half of what Rhode had heard about them were true. Each and every one of them had stepped up big time during the Battle and saved plenty of lives.

Each awardee was asked to pose for a photo with the Hall that had now been transformed into a memorial as a backdrop, Rhode of course being the first.

Smiling for the camera, the daughter of Poseidon was glad her hectic adventure in the magical world was at a close. For now at least.

* * *

Rhode exited the green flames of the central hearth in Camp and was greeted by a smiling Jack.

_Guess he's not mad at me anymore._

Her heart felt lighter at this, Rhode had been worried he was still upset.

Before she could contemplate further on this a blonde blur slammed into her side and almost sent her sprawling. It was only her quick reaction time that saved her from a painful meeting with the ground.

"The age old tradition, huh?" Rhode asked Annabeth.

"Yup!" The blonde replied cheerfully as they broke their hug. She looked ready to start chattering, but Jack stepping up caught Rhode's attention which in turn caused the younger girl to pout instead.

"Hi Rhode," Jack said and Rhode completely forgot about Annabeth as she got lost in Jack's smile again. "I'm glad that you're back."

"So you're happy to see me?"

"Of course." The boy said as he pulled her into a hug.

She was so pleased in fact that she decided to be reckless and lightly pecked his lips.

The snow child stiffened at the sudden move and Rhode pulled away from his slack grip.

"I-Sorry, whirlwind of emotions."

"Eh, yeah. I get it." Jack replied, with an uneasy smirk.

A giddy excitement coming over her, Rhode smiled at Jack.

"Do, uh, do you want to go on a date? Like, right now?"

Rhode didn't know way she sounded so unsure, usually she was more assertive than this. Maybe it was because the brunette didn't want to push Jack if he wasn't comfortable with it?

Jack frowned a little and her heart sank at the sight. He didn't answer her for an agonizing minute until he nodded reluctantly, "Sure."

Her heart feeling light once more, Rhode turned to Lee and Su who had just stepped out of the hearth behind her. They were both sporting frowns on their faces, "Can you guys drop off my stuff by my cabin?"

Neither of them looked thrilled, but Lee nodded.

"Sure, you kids have fun." He teased with a strained smile, but yelped when Su stomped on his foot.

"Oops, misstep."

Lee gave her the stink eye that promised vengeance.

Rhode ignored them instead choosing to excitedly grab onto Jack's arm and pull him along to the canoe lake.

They got a good ten feet before Jack pulled his arm back, "What are you doing?"

His words were harsh and that confused the daughter of Poseidon.

"I was thinking we'd go to the lake and hang out. Maybe even ice skate like last time."

"Right," Jack nodded, "but did you ask what I wanted to do?"

 _What's up with him now?_ Rhode frowned thoughtfully. _Wait, he's angry I just dragged him off to do what_ I _wanted. Just like his mother did to his dad. Oh gods! Please let me be wrong._

"Is something wrong?" The daugher of the seas asked hesitantly, hoping she wasn't right.

Jack stared at her and took a step back, scowling, "I don't need your pity!"

Her fists tightened, her anger piqued. That wasn't how she felt!

 _Or was is it?_ A traitorous part of Rhode's mind whispered.

Ignoring it and instead choosing to focus of her anger, she said, "I'm not pitying you, I just want to spend time having fun with you!"

"Then don't look at me like you do!"

"Like what? Like I care about you!"

"Ugh, you're impossible!"

"And you aren't?" Rhode snapped at him, growling. Here she was, caring about his wellbeing and all Jack wanted to be was a jerk!

Jack recoiled like she'd just slapped him. With a furious growl, he spun on his heel and stalked off.

Rhode stomped her foot as a means to calm herself, causing a tremor in the process. Storming off to her cabin, she questioned why boys were so stupid.

* * *

When Rhode opened her eyes, the view of a familiar stormy beach was before her. Her toes sank into the wet sand as waves washed up to her knees. The thunderous clouds boiled in the sky, lightning streaking through them like a broad net.

A churning mass of the storm cloud reached down from the sky and stood a mere foot away from her, looking ominous and ready to swallow her whole.

It was hilarious due to who the storm represented.

"Figures, I can't dream of nice things after coming home."

She put her hands on her hips, looking disinterestedly at the storm.

A throaty chuckle sailed on the winds, sweeping her hair wildly.

" **Dearest child, I must thank you for such a wonderful gift of that interesting damned soul. I think it will become a fine tool to use in the future."**

Rhode had a sinking feeling she knew who he was talking about. She made a mental note to ask Thanatos what happened to Tom's soul.

" **Who to gift it to? Who is angry enough to bare such a fang? Perhaps I can use it to win over Krios' granddaughter. Or perhaps that lad you fancy, he is angry enough. Paltry compared to your own fury but still enough."**

"Cut the shit," Rhode growled at the storm, tired of the amusement he had at her expense, "I know who you are… _Grandfather_. What do you want from me? All you've done is sneak into my dreams and talk. Give it to me straight, Crooked One, if you can."

His chuckle annoyed her so much, **"And aided you. I have helped you on many occassions, child. Again and again, unlike those** _ **gods**_ **. Why, where do you think your ruthlessness comes from? It seems that waterlogged boy did something right."**

Rhode bristled at the insult to her Father, her hands tightening into fists.

Snarling, the child of Poseidon demanded, "Stop going in circles and speak plainly!"

A mocking hum filled the air, **"Very well, granddaughter. Join me. Aid my return. You are the one the gods fear the most, you represent their own damnation! You are the Prophesied child of change!"**

Rhode was struck by such a request, confusion at what it could even lead to. While she was thinking, the Titan continued. **"If you refuse me, perhaps the boy that has caught your eye will choose differently."**

"Don't you dare!"

" **You think you can make demands of me?"** The imprisoned Titan King asked, sounding amused.

"...No." Rhode whispered softly.

" **Heh, smart child-"**

"No. As in 'No, I will not join you' and nothing you say will change my mind." Rhode reiterated. There was no anger, no fire behind her words, it was simply a statement.

It was as if everything was put on mute. The crackling of the storm itself ceased.

Until it roared like a cluster of bombs going off.

 **"One day, your rejection of my generous offer will leave you tormented. May the weight of the world crush your feeble heart, child."** The Titan thundered furiously.

"And I'll be waiting, Crooked One."

And one last time, the storm swallowed Rhode whole.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done. Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as usual!
> 
> A crazy chapter, but I gotta say, I had a lot of fun with it. Got to explore so many different things with our characters.
> 
> Nameless: Wow! This is was totally a long wind down for the arc isn't it? Hope it was satisfying.
> 
> So to start things off, Rhode is more a combat medic then a bedside nurse. She's going to point out what not to do and how to avoid shit. To Campers, that's perfectly fine. To a regular civilian, it's degrading.
> 
> Nameless: And Rhode, of course, with her limited experience doesn't know and can't really see the difference. This has bit her in the rear quite a few times already and will continue to do so, I'd think. Rhode is in a safe space (Camp/her demigod nature) and is not very willing to look outside it to learn how to be more than that. Don't worry she'll be forced to eventually.
> 
> Now onto something else. In this chapter, we get to see more of the dynamic in Rhode and Jack's relationship. It's a little screwed up, isn't it? Well, we honestly didn't think either of them (but Rhode especially) are in the proper headspace for a romantic relationship at this point in their lives. Yet they are still pushing for it, hence their screwed up relationship.
> 
> E4E: Yeah, now there's a confusing relationship. Let's hope Rhode can mend that broken heart somewhere down the line. Or utterly fail trying to do so. Who knows?
> 
> Nameless: We do! But we're not talking. Mwahahaha!
> 
> So Rhode was awarded a medal, she's getting a statue, oh and the press! And she's just not used to all that kind of attention. At camp, when you do something good, you get a pat on the back or something. She's in the mortal world though, and such a feat was extraordinary to the magical world. So yeah, Rhode was not prepared for the hype nor how many kids will dress like her for Halloween and/or get her action figure. XP
> 
> Nameless: Yeah, heroics are expected in camp. Whereas for the wizards, it's as E4E says, extraordinary. And we know how press shy Rhode is. So combining the two things together, she's totally pissed off by the adulation that she's about to receive.
> 
> You know what to do, smash that review button and tell us what you loved! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	13. First Steps to War - A New Quest

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Thirteen: First Steps to War - A New Quest**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

As soon as Rhode had been able, she'd arranged a meeting with Chiron. She really needed to discuss Kronos' latest dream visitation.

"So he tried to tempt me to join his side, even brought up Jack to try to persuade me." Rhode explained seriously. This was a matter that was too important for her to approach with her usual cavalier attitude to things. "I told him no, of course."

"That was very brave of you, Rhode." Chiron said with a proud smile. "Resisting the honeyed words of the Crooked One must not have been easy."

"It wasn't _that_ hard." The daughter of the seas said demurely. Praise from her mentor was not easily earned and each instance always got her feeling shy. Besides there was some truth to her words, the Titan King had most definitely not been as persuasive or persistent as he could have been. She was sure of that. He put in an effort sure, but it was almost as if he thought her a mere afterthought rather than a prize. Why that was the case she didn't know, but that was undeniably the impression she got.

"Ah. I forget how you enjoy opposing others." Chiron quipped, raising a brow at her.

Flushing, Rhode looked away.

"Still," the centaur sighed heavily, a weary look in his eyes, "I cannot help but be fearful about his admission that he is actively recruiting allies. It suggests that he is closer to being revived than ever before."

"Wait, how many times has he almost come back? Since when was this a thing?" The daughter of Poseidon couldn't help but ask.

Chiron had a pensive look on his bearded face, "There have been times he has whispered in the ears of man. Trying to influence them into assisting him in reclaiming his old kingdom. However, his current actions go beyond anything he has done in millennia and the gods must be informed about it."

A scoff was heard from a couch nearby where Mr. D was flipping through his Wine of the Month magazine.

"Don't bother Chiron, Zeus won't listen without proof."

Rhode opened her mouth, but Mr. D ignored her and kept talking.

"And a mere demigod's dream won't be enough to sway him. He'll just call it hearsay."

"And the other gods?" The ancient trainer asked him.

The portly god shrugged and discarded his magazine. "What makes you think we've been idle? I'll admit that we can be lazy and easily distracted, but we're neither stupid or in denial. At least, most of us aren't."

"Rhode, I believe we are done for now. Go to your friends, you've earned some time to relax." Chiron told her gently, ushering her to leave.

Rhode nodded and got out of her seat. She was just pushing her chair in when Mr. D let out a laugh that sent chills up her spine. It wasn't his usual cruel one or a mocking chuckle, it was a laugh of a madman. No, of madness itself. Just hearing it made the demigoddess' mind out of sorts.

It wasn't just his laugh that had changed however, Dionysus' entire posture had changed. Gone was the eternally disinterested slouch and condescending attitude that usually clung to him like a cloak. In their place, was an aggressive posture brimming with restrained violence and an aura of undiluted insanity.

This wasn't Mr. D.

For the first time the child of Poseidon had ever seen, Rhode had gotten a look at the _real_ Dionysus. The once demigod that had rampaged across Asia and all the way to India. A being of immense power that radiated raw, undiluted violent madness.

It was with a mix of awe and fright that Rhode closed the door to the Big House. A shudder running down her spine all the while.

* * *

"Let's raise a cup to the heroine of the hour!" Ethan said as Rhode walked into the Amphitheater. He had organized a 'small' party to celebrate Rhode's receiving of the Order of Merlin award.

He'd called it small at least. In reality, it involved pretty much the entire camp.

Cheers and applause followed the son of Aphrodite's words and confetti was tossed everywhere. Rhode soaked it in, raising her cup as well while her friends ruffled her hair or patted her back.

"One less Lich in the world, so thank the gods for that!" She declared and was met with another round of cheers as the party started swinging. Everyone was chattering, drinking soda, having nachos and any other snack Emily managed to secure for the event.

Rhode herself had been mingling with the guests and had ended up running into the Stoll brothers as they sulked in a corner after having been driven away from the punch bowl by Penny while trying to spike it.

"You guys honestly thought you could sneak past Penny and her sensors?" Rhode asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Wouldn't know if we didn't try." Connor replied, with a self-assured smirk. "We just need a plan next time."

Travis, looking a little less confident, added, "We had a plan this time too."

"Well then we just need a better one."

"Should you be telling me this? I _am_ a Camp Counselor."

The Stolls looked at each other and shrugged.

"Yeah, but you're one of the cool ones. You just like to have fun, like us." Travis said.

"Besides, it was just hot sauce. We aren't cruel enough to ruin the mood." Connor added.

Shaking her head, Rhode smirked at the two, "Good luck I guess."

Because gods they were going to need it. Penny was practically a sentinel.

"Hey Rhode, mind answering a question? There's something bugging me for a while."

"Sure, Travis. Ask away."

"Why don't we have a celebration like this after every quest?" Connor asked instead, grinning widely at cutting his brother off. "It would really amp up the atmosphere."

"Because Tweetle Dee!" Gaige said, a cup in her metallic hand as she walked up to them, "Heroics is nothing new for us. So unless something, like let's say, stopping an undead army happens? Why bother partying for something small? If we did, then Camp would just be one non-stop party."

"Betcha Mr. D would love that." Rhode observed, pointing at Mr. D who was sitting on a throne at the top of the amphitheater and was soaking in the party vibes with a pleased look on his face.

"Yeah, but _we'd_ be having fun." Gaige grumbled into her cup, "He wouldn't let us enjoy ourselves that much."

"Spoilsport." The Stolls said together.

"That's creepy. Don't do it again." Gaige said, with a frown on her face while Rhode nodded in agreement.

"Fine. We'll go see how we can get to the punch bowl." Connor said as he and his brother left.

"Good luck with Penny boys," Gaige told them cheerfully and let out a small cackle that made her pigtails bounce. "Little fools. Like they'll make it within ten feet."

"Those twits annoying you, Rhode?" A daughter of Hermes asked as she and Ethan walked towards her. The son of love's arm wrapped firmly around his girlfriend's waist and holding her intimately close. The pretty long haired blonde didn't seem to mind though if the brilliant smile on her face and the occasional smoldering looks she discretely shot his way were any indication.

"No, they're fine Alice."

"I heard Penny suggested the type of cake?" Ethan asked the brunette.

"Oh, don't tease her Ethan." Alice cut in with a smile. "It's an open secret that Rhode asked Penny to do it. Rhode, you're almost as good at manipulating people at times as we children of Hermes."

Rhode blushed. "I'm not that good."

"Getting Penny to ask for a cake you know Emily hates making? When Emily can never say no to her? I think that's pretty smart."

"A little obvious, but still pretty good." Alice grinned much like her brothers. She looked just like them but in a lithe feminine package that was sexy as hell. She had legs that ran on for miles, a perfect hourglass figure and a perky bust.

Together with the suave and debonair Ethan, with his handsome features, supermodel body and impeccable dress sense, they struck Rhode as the picture perfect couple. Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised at all to see them on the cover of a magazine one day.

Or in her dreams. The hot, sweaty kind.

_No, Rhode, don't think about that now! Especially not with them standing in front of you._

"But enough small talk," Ethan declared with a smile, clearly unaware of her dirty thoughts. "We came here on a mission."

Giggling at her boyfriend's antics, "Mission? Really?"

"Getting the guest of honor to cut the cake is a truly important mission." Ethan said in a over the top voice that got both Rhode and Alice giggling madly.

"...How are you not the next James Bond?" Rhode couldn't help but ask.

"My calling is clothes, not the big screen."

"Rein it in there, Pierce Brosnan." Alice said with a heart melting smile, "Let's just go cut the cake, alright?"

"Y-yeah." Rhode agreed, a little breathlessly.

Ethan responded by offering Rhode his unoccupied left arm and the daughter of Poseidon gladly accepted, blushing madly as he and Alice escorted her to the cake.

* * *

It was glorious. A triple layered, mint green frosted marble cake. Fluffy and moist, exactly how Rhode loved her cake.

"So let's see the medal." Clarisse said, her face already covered in cake.

Rhode lifted the handsome gold medal from her pocket. Her name engraved on it along with the class she belonged to.

"Damn, I wonder how much that could be pawned for? It's solid gold right?" Travis asked as he got a closer look at it.

"Don't even think about it." Su said, even as she had Helel use a couple vines to smack the Stolls over the head. "That's Rhode's, so no stealing. Or else."

Both boys gulped and nodded, before scurrying away looking thoroughly chastised with Clarisse guffawing at them as they fled.

"Man Li! Who knew you could actually be threatening." The daughter of Ares praised.

Su was about to reply, but was interrupted when Jack walked over.

"Um. Hey Rhode. Nice medal."

Clarisse and Su both shot the son of snow warning looks, clearly remembering how he'd upset Rhode during their last attempt at a date. He ignored them though, all he had eyes for was the daughter of Poseidon.

"Hey, why didn't I get one?" Jack jokingly asked, a goofy smile on his face, "I helped too."

Shoulders tensing, the scion of the seas told him, "Jack, a lot of people died in the battle. Don't reduce all that to just something to joke about."

"I-I was just trying to lighten the mood." Jack said, holding up his hands placatingly.

Rhode frowned at the snowy haired teen, "Don't joke about this, Jack. Ever."

Standing up, the daughter of Poseidon stalked off.

Frowning, Jack turned on his heel and stormed off back to Cabin 11.

Unbeknownst to either of them, the gathered friends around them all glanced at one another worriedly as they had yet another spat.

"Ugh! Seriously, he's like a coin. One second we're good, the next he's doing something to rub me the wrong way." Rhode muttered under her breath.

* * *

Rhode was feeling uncharacteristically nervous. Annabeth had called her and her girlfriends to a meeting in Cabin Six to discuss something. For some reason, the daughter of the seas had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Maybe that wasn't such an odd thing to think considering how serious things seemed. Annabeth had even cleared all her siblings out of her Cabin just so she could keep whatever they were about to discuss private.

"What's going on?"

"We need to talk." Emily said seriously. "About you and Jack."

 _Ugh, not this again!_ Rhode frowned at them, "What's there to talk about?"

"How your relationship is completely unhealthy." Atlanta, newly back at Camp from a holiday with her mortal family, said with a frown.

"Look," Rhode said, trying and failing to hide her discomfort. "Can we not talk about this? Please?"

The others looked ready to object, so Rhode barreled on in a bid to drown them out. "Hey, why don't we talk about something more important? Like say, congratulating Annabeth on getting reinstated as Head Counselor permanently now that Taylor has left for college?"

"This isn't about me," Annabeth said, just as stern as all the older girls. "This is about _you_ , Rhode. So stop trying to get out of it."

"Yes, Rhode, stop deflecting. We're talking about this because we're worried about you." Su said, looking a cross between stern and worried.

"What's there to worry about?" Rhode asked, even as her stomach roiled and her traitorous brain brought up how Jack and her kept getting into fights almost as much as they spent time enjoying each other's company.

"This relationship you seem hell bent on pursuing with Jack." Emily said, her arms crossed as she looked at Rhode with a furious scowl on her face. "It won't work out."

"I've got to agree with Ems there, Rhode." Gaige added, without any of her usual mischeivous tone. "Jack isn't in the right headspace for a relationship at the moment. And while I ain't one of Mr. D's, my dad has a mad streak to him a mile wide too, so I know crazy when I see it."

"I know he's not!" Rhode frowned at them, she wasn't stupid, "But he needs somebody to care about him. He deserves at least that doesn't he?"

"And you think you should be the one to help him?" Atlanta asked with a frown. "Why?"

Rhode fidgeted in her seat. She'd never actually asked herself that question before but as the daughter of Apollo had voiced it, Rhode had almost instinctively answered. _Because I feel responsible._

Rhode had been part of the quest that had led to the revelations that had torn Jack's world apart. Wasn't it up to her to make sure Jack was okay? Besides she'd been the one that he had been he'd been crushing on, she might have denied it back then but she was not blind, before that terrible quest. She didn't dislike him, so what not date him to keep him close and help him?

She'd ruined so many lives or failed to save them, even taken some. So now that she had a chance to save one in this deeply meaningful way, shouldn't she devote her all to doing so?

"I-I just do." Rhode said, unable to tell even her most trusted friends what she'd only just admitted to herself.

"Even though, it's going to hurt?" Annabeth asked, looking Rhode with wary concern. "You should _know_ that relationships based on obligation almost always do."

The daughter of Poseidon did. History, both those of the gods and the mortals, was full of examples of the tragedies that such relationships could cause.

"I do." Rhode whispered in admission. "But I'm going to do it anyway. I have to."

"If you feel so strongly about it, why not wait until he's actually ready for one." Atlanta stated, resting her chin in her palms.

"Oh? And what if he's never ready?" Rhode heatedly countered, anger bubbling inside of her, "What if someone just has to step up to help him?"

"So it has to _you_?" Annabeth frowned from her bed. She had been pretty quiet since the start of the meeting, but now she was voicing her opinion. She had never liked Jack all that much, as far as Rhode knew.

"Yeah, because who else can?" Rhode retorted.

Everyone looked at each other uneasily at this.

"Rhode, do you have any genuine feelings for Jack at all?" Emily asked with a sad look on her face.

"Of course!" The scion of the seas replied automatically.

"Then why haven't you said anything even remotely about how much you like him?" Atlanta pointed out.

Rhode froze at that, as the realization that her feelings for Jack didn't even _factor_ into her reasoning behind choosing to try to date him. But feelings didn't always have to be important in making a workable relationship, right? After all, weren't there plenty of royalty back in Ancient Greece who didn't even know each other before they got married but afterwards managed to enjoy happy marriages? At least she and Jack knew each other! So they had a leg up already. Surely, that meant they had a good chance at making things work out.

"I'm fifteen, how am I supposed to know how love works?" Rhode asked after her pondering, "I just feel like being with him. Is that bad?"

"Yes," Emily said without hesitation. "If you're this unsure then you really shouldn't be going through with this."

"I haven't hesitated in difficult situations before. So I won't do so now."

Emily actually flinched back, a look of horror on her face. Gaige put a comforting arm on her shoulder and pulled her close even as she leveled a frustrated glare at Rhode.

"You do know that the two situations are worlds apart, right?"

"No, Gaige, they aren't!"

Again the other girls all exchanged uneasy looks. Rhode could even understand why. Hearing herself voice out all these things that she'd previously never even organized in her mind as a coherent set of ideas… It was unsettling. Especially because it didn't take a genius to see the likely heartbreak that awaited her if she went down this road. But despite all that, she just couldn't stop herself. She _had_ to do this. For Jack. To prove to herself she could save people, even if was only one person.

"Everyone, I think that's enough." Su finally spoke up. She wore an uneasy expression like everyone else but she was also the only one shooting Rhode anything resembling supportive looks, "Even if we may disagree."

The pointed look she sent towards the child of Poseidon clearly showed that she believed in her. That it was Rhode's choice. But also that she didn't agree with what the daughter of Poseidon intended.

"Then I guess we're done here." Emily frowned at Su, looking at the daughter of Demeter as if she had lost a limb or something.

"We're seriously just gonna give up now?" Atlanta demanded, crossing her arms unhappily. Annabeth nodded in agreement, clearly equally dissatisfied with the way things had gone down.

"We don't have a right to continue, not when the one person who has the most right to criticize Rhode has spoken." Emily said, glancing at Su. Though Rhode refused to accept what the daughter of love was implying here. She had to be wrong. She had to be!

Neither the archer nor the aspiring architect seemed mollified but Gaige just shot them both a warning look and they backed down.

The girls dispersed out of the cabin, Rhode and Su were the last ones to leave as Annabeth went to inform her siblings that they could come back to their Cabin.

"Su?"

"Yes, Rhode?" She asked in return, looking stiff.

"Thanks for backing me up earlier," Rhode said with sincerity. "It was pretty rough in there."

The child of agriculture's lips were a thin line as she said, "I'll always support you Rhode. You deserve that much."

While those words offered comfort, Rhode felt as though her own words were being used against her. At least this confirmed the taller girl's thoughts that Su didn't _like_ her like her. After all, if she did why would she support her current relationship?

"With that out of the way, why don't we go do something fun?" Su asked, all smiles all of a sudden. "Anything you want to do?"

"Uh, sure. How about some Arts and Crafts?" Rhode thumbed over her shoulder.

"Perfect!"

Rhode nodded and headed out, Su right on her tail.

As they walked, she heard a murmur, one that was so soft Rhode almost missed it, "Even with this, I won't give up. I won't lose!"

Rhode glanced over her shoulder, looking baffled by that and asked, "What'd you say?"

"Nothing! Come on," Su smiled, grabbing her arm, "let's go have some fun."

Rhode tried to puzzle out what Su had meant but just couldn't.

 _Or won't._ A traitorous part of her mind whispered. Rhode ignored it, it couldn't be right could it?

* * *

Su, her gardening belt secured, looked at the rest of her siblings.

"Alright everyone, let's head off to the woods."

It had been a hard transition taking on the role of Head Counselor after Viridi had left. She wasn't a very authoritative person by nature, at least in her mind, but the role had toughened her up so to say. It'd forced her to develop a take charge attitude that she appreciated.

 _Now if only I could use it with other things,_ Su mentally sighed, but snuffed out the thought quickly.

As they headed into the wilderness surrounding the camp, one of her younger siblings began to complain.

"Why are we planting herbs in the woods? With how crazy the magic is I doubt they'll even be there an hour after planting them."

"You are correct," Su nodded in agreement, "While we could put them in our green house, the soil in the woods is far richer. Even when we take it from the woods, the magic isn't as strong. Even if we have to do a search for the herbs we plant every time we harvest them, it'll be worth it in the long run."

The hike was a long one, and there was not much chatter among her siblings. Most of them were too preoccupied scanning the woods and taking in its beauty and the wonderful feel of its magic. The witch though found that these normally calming distractions were having no effect on helping her settle the headache inducing, heart racing thoughts about Rhode that had been on her mind for months now.

Originally, when the other girl had first come to camp, Su had been intimidated by the thought of the child of Poseidon. After her impressive showing during her first CTF game, many had been wary of the girl. Su was not proud to admit, but she'd been one of them.

Then they ended up going to Hogwarts together. Where all it took was the girl standing up to some bullies on Su's behalf for them to become friends. Best friends even.

Her best friend that Su grew so close to. One that was practically her sister. No, considering how much closer she felt to Rhode than to her actual sisters, more so. For a long time, she'd felt content for things to stay that way. With the daughter of Poseidon being someone that Su could share all kinds of things with, things that the demigoddess wouldn't even tell her Father or siblings.

Until Rhode started to get close to Jack.

Su couldn't lie, she felt prickly towards the son of winter. Every time the two cryokinetics were together, it felt like a stab to her heart. And it was then the daughter of Demeter realized Rhode was more than just a friend.

It took months for Su to make sense of these feelings, for her to finally win the struggle to identify them. And how to figure out what she wanted Rhode to be to her.

She tried to, for lack of a better word, experiment and see how she felt. It was why Su had set up all those small date-like scenarios with Rhode the past year.

The way she'd felt on those dates. The contentment, the pas- Oh! Who was she kidding? The outright lust! All of that, had led to one inescapable conclusion.

Su was smitten, head over heels, goo-goo eyed for the strong, fierce, kind and well defined daughter of Poseidon.

In her eyes, Rhode was as mighty as a drakon and as beautiful as a princess.

How could one not feel love for such a young woman?

Making up her mind, Su was determined to be as close as she could to the one who held her heart. Even if it meant being forever friendzoned. Being her best friend was better than being nothing at all.

* * *

_Alright, everything should be set._ Jack thought to himself, trying to shake off his nerves. Ever since coming back to camp he had been trying to think what he could do as a date with Rhode. Sure, she was tense after coming back, but he couldn't blame her for that.

"Jack?" He heard Rhode ask as she stepped out of her cabin. Her arms were crossed, looking miffed but curious at seeing him.

"Hey," He waved and smiled at her, "so you wanted to go on a date right? I managed to set one up for us."

"Really? That was… nice of you."

He nodded, that's what he was aiming for.

Stepping down next to him, she looked up into his eyes, "Where are we going?"

Jack grinned and pointed to the back of her cabin, earning him a quizzical look.

"Just come on." He urged her, a wide smile on his face.

She pursed her lips, but complied as they walked around Cabin Three.

Stepping to the side, he held out his arms, "Ta-Da!"

The cozy little movie theater he'd set up consisted of a screen that was actually a wall of carefully compacted snow, Camp's sole projector that he'd asked Luke to help him borrow from Chiron, a couch he'd borrowed from Cabin Ten, and a laptop loaded up with a collection of movies that he'd 'loaned' from the Camp Store.

Hopefully the Store didn't need it to do their inventory or accounting today, or he'd feel bad. Well, not really. His need was greater after all.

"Do I want to know where you got all this stuff?" Rhode asked, easily figuring out that there was no way Jack could have managed to get all of this without stretching the rules.

Jack was tempted to tell her, but decided against it. It was always more fun to keep them guessing.

"Nope."

With a sigh, she offered him a tiny smile at him, "You're lucky you're cute."

Playing the gallant knight, Jack gave his best imitation of a gentlemanly bow and ushered Rhode to take a seat.

"Haha, so what are we watching?" Rhode asked as she sat down on the couch.

"Ever see the Princess Bride?"

Rhode shook her head and Jack felt relieved.

"Then let's watch," the demigod smirked and set up the movie to play. He sat down next to her and he couldn't help but feel nervous. He hoped she would like the romantic movie.

As the movie progressed, his hopes were met. Exceeded even!

He'd thought he was imagining it at first, but it was real. About fifteen minutes into the movie, Rhode had cautiously slipped her hand into his.

He froze a bit when she tentatively reached for his hand, but he quickly relaxed. This was exactly what he was aiming for, so he couldn't mess this up. She even snuggled up against him!

Staring down at her, she couldn't help but feel the warmth of her body as if it was a nova. It wasn't bad though, it felt… reassuring in a sense.

They sat that way for what felt like hours and Jack didn't want it to stop.

* * *

"So?" Jack asked Rhode, a wide grin on his face.

"I still can't believe it was just a story in a story. I mean, it was good, but I feel like it takes away from that." Rhode pointed out with a pout. He had to admit, she still looked like a baby seal when she did that.

Jack shrugged, "It was good nonetheless."

The brunette nodded in agreement as they walked back around her cabin. Jack would have to clean up the movie theater, but it could wait until later. Even with the short distance, they walked pressed up against each other and it was…nice.

Reaching her cabin's door, Rhode looked up at him nervously, "I had a great time Jack."

He leaned down and kissed her, her green eyes widening in surprise. The salty taste of her lips made him wet his lips after pulling away.

Seeing her blush, Jack felt that all the effort he'd put into setting up the date had been well worth it to get a peek at this cute side of hers.

"See you later."

Apparently overcome by embarrassment at the kiss, she hurried inside and left the son of winter grinning.

"Yes." He pumped his fist quietly as he walked away from Rhode's cabin. Without question, the date was a total success. Heading back to his cabin, he was met with Luke standing outside of it.

"Jack." He greeted as he whittled a stick with a pocket knife.

Jack returned the greeting, "Yo, Luke."

The son of Hermes just stared at him, and with that scar on his face, it was slightly unnerving.

"Follow me, I want to talk to you." He said, putting his knife away and throwing his stick to the ground.

Luke was his Head Counselor, so he couldn't exactly refuse.

The blonde guided Jack deep into the woods, so that, Jack noted, they would be out of sight from the path.

The son of winter felt like he was on pins and needles, sweat rolling down his neck. _I mean, I can only think of a few reasons why we'd go so far out of sight. ...Gods is he going to throw me into a pit of scorpions or something?_

Once the son of Hermes was satisfied they were deep enough, he spun around and grabbed Jack by his shoulder and slammed him into a tree.

The younger boy grunted from the pain. The older boy didn't have any sympathy though and pushed him harshly back into the tree trunk.

"Listen to me, Overland." Luke said in a low intimidating voice as he loomed over the younger boy. "Stay away from Rhode."

 _So it's not even a shovel talk?_ The shock white haired teen glared at Luke, "What do you think gives you the ri-"

"As one of her oldest friends, I disapprove of you being her boyfriend." The scarred teen said, cutting him off.

"What are you, Poseidon now?" Jack snarked at the older teen. His temper starting to flare.

Luke's icy blue gaze turned frigid for some reason, "No, but it's not like he seems to care either. So someone has to look out for her."

Taking a calming breath, Jack held up his hands.

"Look, Luke, I'll treat Rhode right. You've known me for years, why would I do anything less?"

"You're right, I've known you for years." Luke said with a nod. "And that's why I don't believe you."

"Wha-"

Ignoring Jack, the blonde continued. "The only reason I'm not pummeling you into a bloody pulp for daring to date Rhode is because she wouldn't like that. But _when_ , not if but when, you screw up, I'll get my chance."

"Dude, you okay? You're, err, not yourself."

"Considering what I'm talking to you about, did you expect me to be?" The son of Hermes sneered.

"Fair point." Jack agreed nervously.

_Damn! He's looking seriously scary right now. Though is this scary vibe really just out of his concern for Rhode? I mean, just waiting for his chance? Where the Hades did that come from?_

"Just watch your step, Frost. You've not done a great job so far, screw up again..."

The son of Hermes just left the threat hanging for a long moment, and Jack could only sweat as the older boy glared at him. Who was this guy and where did the brotherly Luke he'd known for years go?

Finally after a few minutes, Luke seemed to decide he'd gotten his point across and turned sharply on his heel and stalked off.

Jack couldn't hold back his sigh of relief at seeing him go.

Though he wonders if Luke is worse off than most campers thought.

* * *

After dinner one day, Rhode was suddenly summoned to the Big House for what was obviously a quest. Things were a little odd though, Chiron had seemed oddly nervous when he'd told her to visit him after the meal.

As if that wasn't weird enough, it wasn't the centaur who greeted her as she entered the house like she'd been expecting. Instead, Mr. D stood in the rec room waiting for her in an uncharacteristically serious mood. Thankfully, he wasn't as intense as when he went full mad conquering god mode but he was still looking loads more focused than his usual laidback attitude.

"Evans," The god greeted, using her name correctly. Something he rarely did and thus impressed upon her the seriousness of the situation even more. "This quest. It was issued by a friend, one with much of the same concerns we discussed previously. That makes this important. Do you understand?"

Rhode gulped, even as a chill went down her spine. The wine god had never spoken in such a formal way to a demigod before, as far as Rhode knew. For him to do so now… It spoke volumes for just how important whatever quest she was being sent on was. Not that she needed another hint.

By this point, she'd worked it out. She'd have to be an idiot not to. Whatever this quest was about, it had to do with trying to stop her grandfather's rise.

"Alright, I get what this is about." Rhode nodded, her back straightened up as she took a seat across from the god.

"No, you don't." The god said with a frustrated shake of his head. "No mortal could possibly understand the true severity of our current situation. Or the need for urgency. Not yet."

Rhode opened her mouth to say something, but he just shook his head and she snapped it closed.

"That said," The god continued. "You will soon enough. We all will. Regardless of our ultimate success or failure. Time is growing short, I can feel it."

His ominous words sent another bout of shivers down her spine, but she steeled her nerves and replied in the same formal tone he'd using. "I _will_ succeed, Lord Dionysus. Trust me."

The god shot her a piercing look at that, his eyes lit up by purple flames. Whatever he was searching for, he found it, and with a grudging nod he turned to walk away.

"Go to the Oracle. That's all that can be done. Several other campers will be doing this quest, Evans. With your terrible luck? You might just not mess this up." Mr. D said in his usual mood once more as he headed back towards his nap couch. With a shooing motion with his hand, he added, "Now head to the attic, girl."

With one last determined nod to the now dismissive god, Rhode climbed up the old ladder to the attic.

* * *

It had been forever since Rhode was here. And that wasn't exactly a bad thing. The air was as stale as always and the room was still littered with dust. It was dark and hard to see. Only a few beams of sunlight coming through the curtain covered window.

The closer Rhode headed to the mummified Oracle, the more the familiar billows of green smoke rolled along the floor.

Bracing herself, the brunette looked at the hippy mummy.

She was within six feet of the reanimated body of the dead woman, whose appearance had her fighting a shudder at its resemblance to the undead she'd fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, when it jerked to life and stood. It's movements were mechanical for only a moment though before it gained an unnatural grace. One which it used to give Rhode a respectful curtsy while opening her mouth.

Green smoke billowed forth and blanketed the mummy. The ancient power of the Oracle solidified into the shape of Thalia, even as the Oracle itself rose from its curtsy at last and adopted the pose of a puppeteer. Streams of its green smoke streamed from the Thalia construct and attached themselves to the mummy's fingers.

Not that she noticed any of that. In that moment, the scion of the seas was preoccupied with the image of her lost friend and how her heart twisted as a single thought consumed her.

 _She's so young._ Rhode lamented, even as her heart ached with loss. Thalia looked like a newbie camper in age and height. Just as she had when she'd been taken from this world. Before she could even learn to have a life outside of fighting everyday just to survive.

It felt like forever since Rhode had last talked to Thalia. Much to her dismay, she realized she'd even forgotten the little things about her friend. Were her eyes always that shape? How many different band buttons were on that jacket of hers again? And those teeth, were they always that yellow?

The green eyed girl shook her head, she couldn't dwell on that right now. She had a prophecy to hear out. As if it had been waiting for her to finish clearing her thoughts, the Oracle chose only then to have her Thalia puppet begin reciting the Prophecy.

_**North you go to the land of the famous bay** _

_**To find where the forgotten lilies lay** _

_**The raging river is your goal, to face a foe deaf to what you say** _

_**Amidst his treasures, you will find the blade that only knows how to slay.** _

The words given, the power faded from the puppeteer and it's chosen puppet. The powerful smoke dispersed and with increasingly jerky steps the mummy moved back to its eternal seat by the window. Gracelessly sitting down, it transformed back into nothing more than a long dessicated corpse.

A sigh escaped her lips, "Thanks for the help."

And she meant it. Rhode was a bit of a brat the last time she was here so the brunette felt like she had to be nicer this time around. Show she'd grown and all that. It wouldn't do, as she had learned, to make enemies of the forces that controlled fate.

Heading back down to the rec room, Rhode saw Chiron, rolling back and forth in his magical wheelchair.

"Chiron, you're going to wear out the floor."

"Then Lord Hephaestus will finally get his chance to replace the House." Chiron shot back with an awkward smile. "He has been looking for an excuse for some time."

Rhode blinked. Did Chiron just make a joke? Was the stress of his father's rise getting to him?

"I'll just tell you what I got." The daughter of Poseidon said, deciding she didn't want to touch her mentor's odd mood with a ten foot pole. It was just too strange.

Said mentor just took a deep calming breath and nodded. "Thank you."

After a retelling of the prophecy, Chiron looked even more...unhinged.

He literally jumped out of his wheelchair and began trotting around the rec room.

"Okay, alright, from what I can gather I've easily identified the river god mentioned." Chiron tapped his chin in thought, "Scamander is your best bet. He has a vast collection of magical weapons. That the Prophecy is referring to him though is worrying in so many ways."

"Why?"

Running a hand through his hair, the centaur explained. "One, because it's too easy. If the Prophecy is so easy to decipher than either the Oracle is trying to help which means even it is worried about this."

The daughter of the seas paled at that. A Oracle, an avatar of fate itself worried? That was terrifying.

Chiron nodded his agreement to her sentiment, and continued. "Or the difficulty of the quest itself is so high that this ease is warranted."

The demigoddess really hoped it was this option. A difficult quest she could handle, one that scared beings orders of magnitude greater than herself? Not so much.

"Maybe even both." The centaur said, continuing his explanation. "Second, Scamander is a dangerous god to fight. Unlike most gods, his defeat by Achilles has granted him special rights."

Rhode looked at him questioningly.

"He can utilize a much greater degree of his full godly power when facing a demigod than other gods without breaching the Ancient Laws."

"Well, it's not like I'm going to fight him...maybe…" Both Rhode and Chiron looked at each other and she sighed, "Of course I'm going to end up fighting him. Worst luck ever."

"First a titan's bane, then a lich, and now this?" His usual sage-like eyes looked at Rhode as if she were the star of some tragic comedy, "The Fates are not fond of you, my dear."

Rhode scoffed, "Yeah, my dad kinda broke an oath. Remember?"

"Indubitably." Chiron stroked his beard but pressed on, "And a blade seems to be your primary goal."

"About that, what's this blade that I'm supposed to look for? The clue in the prophecy is kinda vague."

Chiron pondered this for moment but apparently coming up with no answers, he shrugged. "Perhaps Scamander knows. If not, I'm sure clues will surface along the way to point you in the right direction. Though the clue..."

"What about it?"

"It hints that the blade in question is cursed. Blades can do many things besides kill but one which knows nothing else? That's dangerous. Very much so."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Rhode tried to banish her nerves away, "I'll know when I find it I guess. I'll do my best to keep it at arm's length. Mr. D said some of the others are going to search too?"

"The other experienced Campers are heading out on their own quests. The main problem is we do not know _what_ we're looking for. Only that… the consequences would be beyond grave if it fell into the wrong hands."

A sense of foreboding raced down her back at what it could possibly be. There were plenty of ancient items that were bad news for the gods. One that had them this frightened?

It could only be something horrible.

* * *

Rhode, it seemed, was the first of the Campers who were being sent out to search for whatever the gods were looking for. As she'd left the Big House, Chiron had told her to call Emily to take her turn with the Oracle.

The fact that Camp was sending out so many questers at once and on separate quests, was unheard of and unsettled many Campers. But everyone ran with it, not like they had a choice. Not when the stakes, whatever they were, seemed so high.

Being first to receive her Prophecy meant Rhode was also the first to leave. Which was lucky for her as it meant she could receive her new additions to her belt from Gaige before the daughter of Hephaestus left with Emily and Penny on their quest.

_Wonder why Mr. D let them go together when he told Chiron I had to go alone._

Come to think of it, most of the other older Campers chosen for these quests, which Rhode noted excluded Luke, were teaming up in the usual teams of three as they headed out. Fergus, Atlanta and Lee had teamed up and there were four other teams besides. Besides Rhode, only Su was going solo.

Heading to the forge to get her latest goodies, she spotted Gaige and Penny sorting through some supplies for their own quest. The Head Counselor of Cabin Nine spotted her as she approached and turned to greet her.

"Sup, girl." Gaige grinned, her face covered in soot and sweat.

"That belt all set up? I have to hit the road at first light."

The pigtailed ginger snorted, "Please, we all have to. But yes! I did. Ta-da!"

At her creator's dramatic declaration, Penny reached down and picked up Rhode's belt and cinched it around her waist. Striking a pose, she showed it off.

Her belt had a few new additions to it. A few extra notches for some extra weapons, currently only holding her latest sword disguised as a pen which was all Rhode had at the moment besides Spellbound; a mokeskin pouch for storage; and a new belt buckle with the image of Rhode slaying Volde-lich embossed on it.

"How did you even-"

"I improvised." Gaige shrugged, "My imagination is bonkers~!"

"Then why is that just a bog standard mokeskin pouch?" Rhode asked with a quirked brow.

"Ha! Rhode, you embarrass yourself. As if I do anything to 'standards'." Gaige flicked the pouch, "Penny let her get a closer look."

Complying, the android unclipped the pouch and held it up in one hand while gesturing to it, looking just like one of those 'beautiful assistants' on game shows. A fact that had Rhode stifling snickers.

"As you can see, this edition of the Gaige Glenanne model mokeskin pouch is bigger, snazzier, PETA-friendly and more inconspicuous than the sad standard version."

"Okay~" Rhode said, dragging out the word. "But isn't it basically the same thing? I mean, don't you usually like creating new stuff?"

"Sure, but as the saying goes there's no need to reinvent the wheel." The tinkerer said with a wave of her finger. "The original worked, so why come up with something all new that does the same thing? Instead, I _improved_ upon it! The storage space in your pouch is at least ten times better than anything the wizards could whip up and the enchantment is a lot more permanent too."

"It has the special pocket I asked for, at least?"

Gaige nodded. "Yup, a whole pocket on the side full of your special marbles."

At this Penny, unzipped a pocket on the side of the pouch and showed Rhode the dozens of rune inscribed marbles inside. There were a dozen different tubes of them,three of which were filled, each with a different colored set of the spheres.

Rhode grinned at her latest application of her runic studies. Using the runes, the daughter of the seas had created her own set of specialty grenades. These had effects that ranged from the standard explosive, to smoke bombs and even conjuring knockout gas. She had more ideas, but that was all that she managed to work out so far.

"Now you really are a superhero. Nice utility belt Batgirl." Annabeth smiled as she walked in.

"Hey Bethy." The brunette waved in greeting, looking at how much older the girl was. Seeing Thalia really made Rhode think of how everyone has changed. Perhaps none more so than the daughter of Athena, who had transformed from a scared little girl when they'd first met into the confident Head Counselor she was now.

 _Hope she can be as happy as she can be._ Rhode thought as she pulled Annabeth into a one armed hug, "Come on, let's see if we can find a movie to watch. I'm going to be gone for a bit."

"Sorry, Rhode, can't." Annabeth told her apologetically. "Taylor is coming back to lead one of the quests, I'm going with him. He's asked me to settle our gear before he gets here. It's why I'm here"

The daughter of Poseidon pouted.

"That doesn't work on me!" The blonde said with a stern finger wagging and a hand on her hip.

"Lies!" Gaige called out from the back where she and Penny had gone to get together Annabeth's gear.

Rolling her grey eyes, Annabeth smiled at her, "When we get back from these quests, we'll marathon a few movies."

"It's a deal. Hope you like action movies." The daughter of Poseidon grinned as she walked out of the forge and back to her cabin.

She had a quest to finish getting ready for.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the awesome team of Nameless and Axios as always.
> 
> With no ban on quests, this summer is shaping up pretty interesting. So many things, so many damn things are happening because I will say this now. Since some people keep asking ...NEXT SUMMER… canon begins. For now, we got something a little intense for this ride.
> 
> Nameless: We dropped a lot of explanations in this chapter. We've now shown why Rhode is pursuing a relationship with Jack and why Su "suddenly" has romantic thoughts about Rhode. Hope the explanations satisfied you. If not, well too bad. They are the reasons (that we have chosen to reveal anyways) we came up with and we are running with them.
> 
> Ah, my ships, float, float on home to your hearts~! Rhode is truly an MC to launch a thousand ships lol! Jack, trying his best to cover his past fopas and Su coming to terms with her affection.
> 
> Nameless: So some might be wondering what has the gods so spooked and sending out these quests? And why it's even got Chiron spooked enough to behave out of character? Well, it's basically the first definitive, undeniable (not that Zeus won't just ignore it) sign that Kronos is raising. And that's freaking out everyone in the know. In this verse at least (and I'd argue in any realistic take on canon, though Riordan might not agree), the gods and Chiron have some forewarning that he's coming. Just like they did for Gaea. Some at least, prepared for him. They also had time to get mentally prepared for the long fight ahead, hence their seemingly blasé or at least restrained attitudes when it happened, instead of the kind of all out panic that might have been expected. In this verse, we'll try to show that as the gods and Chiron mellow out a little as they get used to what is to come. Though what is the item that set off this bout of madness and the gods have the Campers searching for? Well, stay tuned to find out.
> 
> Yes, I mean even Mr. D is taking this seriously. It tells you how bad this is. He wasn't even like this when the Master Bolt was stolen. Scary huh?
> 
> Nameless: So we had a troll leaving guest reviews lately. Now his critique is trollish because he 1) doesn't leave suggestions on how to fix what he sees as flaws; 2) leaves no way for us to contact him to discuss his criticism; and most importantly 3) persistently reposts his reviews even after the team has convened, discussed, and decided that his reviews are irrelevant or inappropriate to that story and deleted them. If you're this troll or intend to do something similar, please do not. You are not helping your case and making us think your arguments are just less valid by your annoying behavior.
> 
> Now you know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace out my peeps.


	14. First Steps to War - The Garden of Lilies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Fourteen: First Steps to War - The Garden of Lilies**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Rhode ran through the woods with a frustrated frown on her face.

"Stupid, freaking, ugh just my luck to run into something unkillable." She growled while leaping over a log.

The daughter of Poseidon had made it out of New York State safely enough on a Greyhound bus. The moment she crossed the state lines however, it seemed like her luck had run out. She'd barely taken a few feet at the nearest rest stop when she was ambushed by a pack of Nosoi and forced to flee from the invincible spirits of disease.

The damn things had pursued her relentlessly for almost two straight days now, leaving her exhausted as her stamina began to reach its limits. All while they pushed her further and further off course from her goal of reaching the god Scamander's palace in the Rappahannock river in Virginia. By now, if her sense of direction was correct, she was somewhere in freaking Massachusetts!

"At least I know why the flipping prophecy said I'd go north. Despite needing to go to west."

"Where are you, you disgustingly healthy godling!" One of the spirits wheezed out from a distance behind Rhode. Nowhere near far enough away though, and the demigoddess poured on as much speed as her tired body allowed.

"Show yourself, you coward!" Another shouted in the characteristic labored breathing of its kind. "I want to pay you back for that Lysol bomb! I've never been so clean in my existence and I hate it!"

Rhode smirked at the mention of her latest attempt at killing the spirits. It had involved a Target and every bottle of the cleaning fluid it had on its shelves. The end result was epic! The whole store had been flooded in a literal tsunami of the stuff. It was impressive enough that she probably wasn't going to be welcome in a Target anywhere anytime ever again. Too bad as besides pissing her pursuers off, it did little more than buy her some time as they went to dirty themselves up.

Ducking behind a tree to catch her breath, Rhode pulled out her phone and texted faster than she ever had.

[Dude, Nosoi up in my face! Assist?]

Hopefully Apollo answered. Keeping the Nosoi in check was one of his main duties and so he was her best bet to get out of this mess. She knew she didn't exactly have his favor at the moment, but maybe he would be willing to trade for her doing him a task or quest in the future?

The phone buzzed in her hand which caused her heart to swell with hope, only to have it all be dashed as she saw the caller. It was Hermes.

[Srry A's busy. Z's got a no phones during meet clause. Butt texting u. It'll be a thing!]

The daughter of Poseidon stared at her phone and sighed, _Looks like I'm on my own._

Before she could even answer back, it buzzed again.

[PS. Follow the rooster.]

"Rooster? What roos-" Rhode's question was cut off when she was hit in the face. Spitting out feathers, the green eyed girl saw a handsome looking rooster clucking at her.

"Alright, I guess my life is in your… feathers." Rhode could not believe she said that. Trying to be as quiet as possible she followed the surprisingly stealthy rooster, the animal often seemingly just disappearing as its form expertly melded into its surroundings as it led her out of the forest. The distant wheezing shouts of the Nosoi echoing in the woods behind her.

They broke out of the treeline to find themselves on the side of a wide road that served as the private drive for a large looking mansion. It was surrounded by a set of high walls, while the house itself was made of brick with brownstone trim in a Jacobean-style that the daughter of the seas could readily identify after spending hours hanging out with the architecture mad Annabeth.

The rooster sauntered up the road like it owned the place, causing Rhode to frown.

"So much deja vu." She breathed in a whisper as the impressive building brought back memories of Hal Green's mansion. She'd been led there by a god's animal too and that place had turned out to be a death trap, one that she'd only escaped thanks to a tragic, noble sacrifice.

"If this is a death trap, we're going to take a visit to a KFC. Got it?"She promised the chicken with a glare.

The rooster clucked frightfully in response.

Firming her resolve, Rhode jumped up and caught a handhold on the twelve feet gate and started to climb up. For someone as fit as she was, the climb over the gate was no obstacle at all and as Rhode set foot on the ground on the other side, she couldn't help but wonder why anyone would think that it alone would keep their house safe.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a thick bank of Mist suddenly materialized out of nowhere. It didn't drift in or anything, it just appeared out of nowhere and enshrouded everything in a thick nigh impenetrable fog.

After a moment the Mist lifted a little, though it was still thick enough to block out most of the bright mid morning sun and cast everything in a eerie shadow. As it did, Rhode noticed that what had previously been a simple driveway leading up to the mansion had been transformed into a massive hedge maze.

"Well shit!" The demigoddess cursed. "Me and my big mouth. I just had to jinx myself and get stuck in something straight out of Silent Hill!"

Faint growling reached her ears and Rhode pulled out Spellbound.

_Fantastic._

* * *

Rhode panted in exhaustion as she dealt the killing blow to the latest monster the Mist maze had thrown at her, a Manticore. It wasn't even the most dangerous, despite its deadly venomous spines that it fired at her like a machine gun. No that honor went to the Hydra that came two monsters before it. Now that had been a bitch to put down. But even if the monsters were getting easier, Rhode didn't know how long more she could last. She'd been fighting for hours against hellhounds, Empousai, Dracanae and what seemed like every type of monster she'd ever read about in the bestiaries back at Camp.

The damned things didn't even have the decency to leave behind spoils after they were defeated, instead fading back into the Mist that had created them.

"Really wish I paid more attention to Chiron in my Mist lessons right now," the demigoddess wheezed out as she bemoaned her lack of ability at manipulating the force conjuring the unending array of monsters out to kill her.

Despite having great stamina, after running for two days and now facing a monster gauntlet, Rhode was reaching her limit. She couldn't take much more of this.

"If I bite it though, I am so taking that rooster with me. Hmm… I wonder what's the best sauce for roasted chicken?"

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Rhode readied herself for another fight as suddenly the Mist began to lift.

"I'm telling you Maud, I'll never get used to being a socialite." A woman whined from somewhere behind Rhode, though she couldn't see her yet in the still thick Mist.

"There there, I'm sure-What's going on here?!"

As the Mist finally cleared, Rhode found herself face to face with a pair of women wearing fancy dresses that made it seem like they had just come from some kind of grand party. The one who had just spoken was a beautiful refined looking brunette, who carried herself with all the airs of a socialite. Her companion who was leaning against her in an ungainly way was a pretty dirty blonde.

"Uh. Hey?" Rhode greeted awkwardly.

"Who are you and what are you doing on our property?" The brunette asked, her voice commanding. The blonde looked disinterested, but Rhode caught her slipping her hand into her purse and grabbing hold of something.

"That's… a long story. I'm just wondering how you have a Mist trap though."

"And what would you know of the Mist, _prisoner_?" At the woman's words, a cage materialized around Rhode.

Rhode quirked a brow and kept calm, "I'm a half-blood, just like I think you two are. So can we be civil?"

At that, she rapped her knuckle against the surprisingly solid cage.

"Prove it." The blonde said as she pulled out a gun from her purse and casually pointed it off to Rhode's side. "But no funny business."

Concentrating, Rhode tried to feel out if there was any water nearby. Thankfully like most people with lawns, they had sprinklers.

"So, I'm going to call up some water from the sprinklers. That cool?"

"Keep it simple and non-threatening." The woman with the gun commanded, even as the other woman mumbled something under her breath that caused the Mist to thicken around them once more.

"Right." Rhode agreed in a calm tone and a sprinkler head popped up. Water sprayed straight up and stayed that way for a minute before stopping.

"Maud?"

"It's not magic." The brunette confirmed.

"So you were telling the truth." The blonde said as she pointed the gun towards the ground. "So what's your name? And who's your godly parent?"

 _It looks they still don't trust me. Then again, neither would I._ Rhode noted with approval. She might be a fellow demigod, but that didn't mean she was friendly.

"Rhode Evans, daughter of Poseidon."

"A half-blood of Poseidon named Rhode?" The blonde said with an amused smirk. "Any relation to Rhode Island?"

The brunette giggled at the poor joke, but Rhode just gave a dry laugh.

"So…?"

"My name is Maud Lilly," the brunette began their side of the introductions. "Daughter of Hecate. This beautiful woman by my side," the blonde blushed prettily at this. "Is my wife, Susan Lilly. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

 _Running into a lot of that lately._ Rhode noted as she thought of another pair of girls in a relationship.

"So can you get me out of this cage now?" Rhode asked nicely, using Spellbound to hold herself up as her exhaustion started to catch up with her with a vengeance.

The couple exchanged a look, before Susan nodded. At her acquiescence, Maud muttered under her breath once more and the cage transformed back into Mist.

"Why don't we head in and exchange stories?" Maud suggested, "I'm sure that will be enlightening. For both you and ourselves."

Rhode nodded.

"You go first." Susan said, gesturing with her gun.

Too tired to complain, the daughter of Poseidon complied.

* * *

Rhode had been worried at first that Hermes had sent her into a death trap, but she could see that he had sent her here for a reason. It wasn't everyday that you ran into a couple of unknown demigods. Adults at that.

The couple escorted her, at gunpoint, to a richly decorated sitting room and gestured for her to sit on a chair that Maud conjured out of nowhere. Unlike the actual furniture in the room, it was an uncomfortable wooden affair without cushions of any kind. Despite just wanting to curl up on the couch and sleep, she still had a gun pointed at her and had no choice but to obey.

A servant, that Rhode noticed was another Mist construct, appeared and offered her a drink.

"What's this?"

"An energy drink." Susan informed her. "One laced with truth serum."

"...You keep those in your fridge?" Rhode had to ask, because that was odd. Even for half-bloods.

"I had the servants mix it up while we were talking out front." Maud revealed, even as she whispered a few unintelligible words and a pair of hellhounds materialized at her sides.

"At least it's not poisoned." The daughter of Poseidon muttered as she downed the drink. She'd be able to sense if it were. A rush of energy went through her body like a Pepper-Up potion but somehow even more energizing.

With her current fatigue combated, she looked at the two women patiently and began to tell them about the gods and Camp. She told them how it was a place for demigods to learn how to defend themselves and hone their powers. How it was the the only safe place for their kind to do so because they were constantly being hunted by monsters.

"That sounds too fantastical to be real." Maud opined, with a thoughtful expression. "Sue, you sure your serum is working on her?"

"She's not lying." Sue said with a nod. "I would know if she was."

Rhode shrugged, "You have creatures made from Mist, the very thing that keeps our world hidden from mortals. A safe haven for demigods isn't too much of a stretch."

Sue rolled her eyes. "Gods and demigod powers are one thing, girlie. But a whole secret society of demigods? Based out of a _summer camp_ of all things? You expect us to believe something that crazy easily?"

"Is your truth serum good?"

"Best I've ever seen."

"So how can I be lying?"

"First time for everything." Sue said with a shrug.

"Then it must not be very good." Rhode was starting to lose her patience, what was the point of a truth serum if they still didn't believe her!

Before the argument could continue, Maud stepped in. "Look, Rhode, we are not saying we don't believe you. We're saying what you are saying is going to take a while for us to accept. It is simply too far outside our experience for us to easily do so."

Rhode shook her head, "I followed a magical rooster here because a god told me to. There's nothing too ridiculous for the gods."

Sue snorted at that, "That I can believe. Especially after how much of an absentee asshole Maud's father is."

"Sue." Maud chided her wife lightly.

Rhode was running on fumes, even after the energy drink but her curiosity wouldn't let this matter rest. So fighting past the urge to just pass out, she said, "There's a story there."

The couple exchanged a look and Maud nodded. Sighing, Sue put away her gun and collapsed gracelessly onto a sofa. Her wife grinned at her before cuddling up to her.

Rhode followed Sue's example and collapsed onto the couch, finally there wasn't a gun in her face.

Once she was comfortable, Maud turned to Rhode. "Well, since you seem to still think we don't trust you. We'll tell you a little something about ourselves, something that should get you to trust us a bit more."

"Just stop pointing a gun at me again and you'll be fine." Rhode insisted.

Sue shook her head though, "Can't promise that. What if you get possessed or something or turn out to be a very, very good liar? Gotta keep our options open."

"That's paranoid."

The blonde shrugged, "Comes with being a conwoman turned security consultant. I'm always on the look out for the double cross."

Grinning, Rhode said, "Like Catch Me If You Can?"

"Yes! And almost as dramatic." Sue grinned in a manner that was familiar to Rhode. "Maud is even writing a book based on my life."

_A book?_

"I'm a author."

"Bestselling author." Sue corrected, causing her wife to blush.

"How did you two meet?"

"I tried to rob the house." Sue said gesturing around her. "Maud caught me redhanded but instead of calling the police, hired me to help her to escape our uncle."

"Our?"

"We'll get to that." Maud assured. "You see our uncle was a terrible man. He was grooming me since I was a little girl to be his wife, so that he could inherit through me the sizable fortune my mom left behind."

"He was an absolute perv about it too." Sue hissed.

Maud nodded. "He forced me to regularly read and watch pornography since I was a little girl. When I became a teenager, he progressed to regularly molesting me." Rhode gasped. "He was desensitizing me to sex and trying to assert his control over me. To prevent people finding out he had me homeschooled and kept isolated in this house."

"After I was caught, Maud had me help her out as a means to escape from the creep. And he sorta died in the process." The dirty blonde woman chirped, looking quite satisfied, "Even managed to pin the blame on the butler."

"The Mist might have helped too." Rhode told them while rubbing her eyes, "Especially if you're Hecate's daughter."

"It most definitely did." The older brunette agreed. "My powers awoke when we confronted him. He'd caught us, you see."

"Of course in the end it turned out his plan would never have worked." Sue said with a sigh. "All that suffering-"

"Sue," Maud said comfortingly as she squeezed her wife's arm lovingly. "It's in the past."

"Why wouldn't it have worked?" Rhode asked to break the loving atmosphere that had settled over the room. It was thick enough to choke on and making her a tad uncomfortable.

Despite the interruption of their tender moment, Maud turned to Rhode with a smile. "Because it turns out I wasn't the daughter of the cousin the man hoped to inherit from. Sue was."

"We sure he didn't have a prophecy?" Rhode laughed a little, "Because it sounds like there would be one with that kind of event."

"Who knows? Maybe? Don't think he knew about the gods though." Sue said with a shrug. "Anyways, it turns out my mum thought he was a creep even way back when but knew if anything happened to her, and she was dying from cancer, he would get custody of any children she left behind. So when I was just a few weeks old, she swapped me with another baby, Maud here, and the rest is history."

"Dark, twisted, romantic history." Maud said with an elated smile.

"Yup, and now I'm suddenly a socialite and I hate it!" Sue bemoaned and cuddled deeper into Maud.

"Wow, that's just… so, wow. I mean, pretty messed up but yay for happy ending?"

The scion of the sea's exhaustion was rearing its ugly head again but there was one last thing she needed to know before she could sleep in peace. If she was to spend the night here, she needed to be sure they could keep her safe and what they could do in a fight. Whether that was at her side or against her. She needed to know their powers.

"So what can you do?" Rhode asked the daughter of Hecate, her tact gone in the face of her desire for sleep.

"Reality Warping" Maud said, as if reading from an entry in an encyclopedia. "By reading a book out loud, I can manifest aspects of what I read into reality via the Mist. This is especially effective when I use my own work."

Rhode sucked in a breath at that. That was seriously scary. She really didn't want to pick a fight with Maud.

"And you, Su-" Rhode was unable to finish her question as she was interrupted by a yawn.

"Good timing," Maud said with a smile. "The servants just got done preparing a guest room for you."

The youngest demigoddess wanted to at least get an answer out of Sue, but she honestly didn't think she could stay awake any longer. Besides, Muad was scary enough for her to make up her mind about not wanting to pick a fight.

That was good enough. For now at least.

Stifling another yawn, she offered her acceptance and thanks for the unspoken offer.

"Thank you, I have not slept in days."

"You look it." Sue told her. "Go get some sleep, kiddo."

Nodding, Rhode got up and followed a newly arrived servant as it led her to a guest room.

Seeing the bed, something that to her sleep deprived mind was the most puffy and comfortable thing in the world, Rhode could not resist its siren's call. Collapsing on it, the teen's eyelids closed almost instantly as she curled up.

Sleep was the only thing she wanted right now.

* * *

Even asleep Rhode was enjoying just how wonderful the bed was. It was as if she was floating in the ocean. Thanks to that she was getting some of the most restful sleep she'd ever had. And, no, that wasn't just her exhaustion talking. The bed really was _that_ good.

She was thus naturally upset when a voice suddenly screamed directly into her ear while she was having a pleasant dream. Immediately, Rhode's sea green eyes snapped open and she jumped to her feet.

"What's going on? Life boats! Turn to portside!"

All around her there was the sound of an alarm. It was like a police siren pounding between her brain as she stepped out of her room to see what was going on. Just outside her door there was a servant waiting. It gestured for her to follow, and with no better idea she complied.

It led her to a room with a door that was coated in a thick coat of Mist, which swung open as she approached. Inside, Maud and Sue, both dressed in clearly hastily belted up robes, were watching a large monitor as it showed what was happening outside in their drive.

"What's going on?" Rhode asked, her spyglass in her hand.

"Intruders," Sue explained, as she turned away from the screen to a computer. "Monsters. I need to know what type."

"Why?"

"So I can conjure the perfect construct to defeat them with." Maud informed the younger girl as she muttered under her breath to manipulate the Mist outside and causing the hedge maze that it had conjured to shift. Much to the frustration of the monsters, which Rhode noticed were the pesky pack of Nosoi chasing her.

"Nosoi, disease spirits."

"Got it." Sue said, as she pulled up a page of information on them on her computer. "Only Apollo can dispel them apparently."

"Apollo? Hm, I hope this doesn't upset him." Maud said as she concentrated on the monitor, " _Apollo_ , _sun, crisp fresh air, febreze._ "

Outside, the Nosoi froze as the familiar figure of the God of Healing walked out of the maze to confront them.

Next to Maud, Sue tilted the monitor of her computer for her to see. On it was a page of information on the god. The daughter of Hecate begun to read.

" _Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in classical Greek and Roman religion and Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of music, truth and prophecy, healing, the sun and light, plague, poetry, and more. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and has a twin sister, the chaste huntress Artemis._ "

"Wikipedia!?" Rhode asked incredulously as she looked at the screen.

Both Maud and Sue shrugged.

Amazingly, it worked as the Apollo construct on the screen gained more and more substance. Not only did it begin to look more and more like the god himself, it even began to give off a faint aura. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it seemed more than enough for the Nosoi. The spirits, apparently convinced it was the real deal, fled.

"Pretty damn good for never meeting him," The daughter of Poseidon commented as the Nosoi started to shriek in terror as the construct raised its bow and aimed a few arrows at them.

It was then that a beam of sunlight shot down from the night sky. It shined over the Nosoi, causing their shriveled skin to burn. In moments they were reduced to little more than charred gold dust scattered on the wind.

Maud blinked, "That wasn't me."

Sue's computer chimed with the notification for a new email. The blonde opened it, only for both she and Maud to boggle at the sender: Apollo, god of the sun and healing.

[Thanks for the update, Rhode. Them Nosoi suck! All hail Apollo! P.S. Nice likeness, Mrs. Lilly. -Apollo, god of the Sun and Awesome]

Rhode cracked a grin, "Glory to the sun."

"They were following you?" Sue asked Rhode after a moment of collecting herself.

"Yeah, for several days."

"You poor thing." Maud said sympathetically. "And here I thought you were just tired out from fighting our security system."

Rhode colored at how… maternal the older woman sounded, "It wasn't that bad. I'm used to stuff like this."

Sue frowned. "Yeah, and you're dead on your feet." Rhode tried to object, but the blonde was having none of it. "Go to bed, Rhode, we'll handle anything else that happens to show up. Just one last thing, any other monsters on your tail?"

"Not that I know of."

"Alright, then go back to the guest room."

The teen wrinkled her nose at being treated like a child, but it wasn't _all_ bad in some way.

"Alright and thanks for the help." Rhode said as she headed back to the guest room.

"Rest well, Rhode." Maud said with a wave as the door to the control room opened for the daughter of Poseidon.

"Night, Maud, Sue."

"Night."

* * *

Rhode awoke the next day feeling well rested. After her morning ablutions, she walked out into the hallway and like last night found a servant waiting. Following its directions, the teen demigoddess walked into a dining room.

It was well lit by a crystal chandelier hanging above a large dining table upon which various breakfast food was laid out. Her hosts were eating and reading the paper, but once they saw her, they both turned to greet the teen.

"Hello Rhode." "Morning!"

"Uh, hey." Rhode waved and walked over to them when a servant pulled out a seat.

Maud smiled at her reassuringly and pointed at a plate of bacon. "Try the bacon. It's especially good today."

Rhode nodded and began dishing some onto her plate, when a servant placed a cup of orange juice next to it.

"Fresh from the farms. Just delivered this morning." Sue informed her without looking up from reading her paper.

It was weird, from living in a camp and a boarding school, she was used to a more chaotic breakfast setting. So a quiet and peaceful setting was… alien.

She nonetheless enjoyed it and savored the meal with its sense of tranquil camaraderie. The Lillies finished eating long before she did, but stayed in the dining room keeping her company with Maud working on her laptop while Sue continued reading her papers.

Once she was done eating the delicious food however, it was time to sate another hunger. Her curiosity.

"So Maud, did Hecate claim you after you killed that sicko uncle of yours with your powers?"

"I didn't actually kill him with it." Maud replied as she and Sue gave Rhode their full attention.

" _That_ honor belongs to me and my nine-mil." Sue added, pulling out the gun she'd pulled on Rhode last night to illustrate her point. Putting it away, she continued. "The piece of shit caught us in bed, and well, he wasn't happy and started hitting Maud. So I put a bullet in him."

"And good riddance."

Rhode nodded in agreement. From everything she'd heard about the man, he deserved to die.

She was still curious about how Maud learned she was Hecate's daughter though and so asked, "So how did you figure out Hecate was your mother?"

"Hecate is my father actually." The daughter of magic clarified. "She said so in the letter she sent alongside the magical grimoire that was my wedding present. Which was by the way how I found out about my parentage. I've never actually met her."

"And she'd better stay gone. We want nothing to do with her." Sue added heatedly and her wife nodded in agreement. "She left Maud to grow up with a sexually abusive guardian! If she'd cared one whit, she should have done something. Anything!"

Rhode agreed. The goddess had really dropped the ball on this one.

"That's somewhat typical for most demigods. Not as extreme as your situation, but a lot of half-bloods have it rough when growing up."

She knew that all too well.

Maud and Sue looked at each other with frowns.

"Almost all of them? And the gods don't help them either?" Maud asked, putting her laptop on a side table and giving her full focus to the conversation.

Shaking her head, Rhode said, "It's why most of us run away from home. After that, we either get eaten by a monster or a lucky satyr finds us and tries to get us to camp. It's not all the gods' fault though, it's really just an ancient law that prevents them from interfering too much. That and common sense."

"Common sense?" Sue asked incredulously while Maud just looked shocked.

"Yeah," Rhode said with a sigh as she poked her fork at her eggs. "If a god hung around a half-blood too long, then his or her scent will just start attracting monsters like crazy. And a god has duties, they can't stay around forever. If the god wants to break another ancient law, they could raise their kid in the godly domains but this risks the other gods finding out and getting pissed and targeting the kid. So, yeah, interfering too much actually puts their kids in _more_ danger."

The table grew quiet as the married couple didn't look pleased at all. Rhode just soundlessly ate her breakfast.

"Surely there's ways around that."

"Of course there are!" A male voice declared from the previously unoccupied end of the table.

As one the three women spun around to face the source. Maud with words on her lips and Mist wafting off her frame, Sue with her gun in hand and Rhode with Spellbound ready to stab the intruder.

"Bob!?" Both older woman said in disbelief.

"Hello, Lord Hermes." Rhode greeted as she put her weapon away.

The god was dressed in a classy suit, with balding blond hair and his usual elvish ears. What really gave him away however were his dove winged shoes and his Caduceus.

"Thanks for the rooster." Rhode said coldly, as she recalled how this was the same god that had caused Luke so much grief.

The god ignored the scion of the seas though. All his attention was on Sue.

"Bob, explain." Sue said, sounding irate. "Or mentor and old friend or not, you're eating a bullet."

"Not like it'd do much." Rhode brought up, but Sue didn't seem to care.

"Well," Hermes smiled impishly and shrugged, "I'm here to reveal that," Here his voice started imitating Darth Vader. "I am your father."

Maud giggled at the impersonation, while Sue and Rhode just rolled their eyes.

"Everyone's a critic." The god said with a playful pout.

"Be serious about this," Sue demanded. "Are you really saying you're my dad?"

Hermes just smiled and a hologram of his Caduceus popped up over her head. "Yup."

"All hail Susan Lilly, daughter of Hermes. God of messengers, thievery, travel and etc." Rhode smiled, glad for Sue.

Sue just stared at the hologram blindly until it faded, at a total lost for words.

"Rhode, why don't we give Lord Hermes and Sue some time alone." Maud suggested as she stood up.

Nodding in agreement, Rhode followed suit.

Together the two left the father and daughter to have a moment.

The daughter of Poseidon just hoped it would go better than Luke's meeting with the god.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Hermes and a visibly happy Sue walked into the sitting room where Maud and Rhode had been waiting. As they walked towards them, the god changed into a more handsome and youthful form. He was now sporting a full head of golden hair and an aviator jacket with goggles hanging around his neck.

"Everything went well, I take it?" Maud asked as she opened her arms for Sue.

Sue nodded, her eyes red and puffy as she accepted the hug gladly. "Father explained why he didn't tell me who he was earlier."

"And?" Maud asked gently.

"That daughter-in-law is simple, if Sue had known the risks Rhode explained earlier would have all come true. So instead of putting her in danger, I chose to take care of her in secret by posing as Bob, the friendly old thief willing to teach the young whippersnapper a thing or two."

He sounded older while saying that, waving his Caduceus like a cane at Sue.

_And where were you for Luke then?_

The god's face crinkled, but didn't give any other sign that he'd heard Rhode's thoughts and instead continued with his explanation. "I always try to help out my kids or their parents. Whoever needs it most. Unfortunately, I can't always be around."

The youngest of the women knew that was directed at her, so she said no more for now. Not wanting to ruin Sue's moment with her godly parent.

"It's okay," Sue unaware of the true purpose of Hermes' words, reassured her father. "You helped a bunch and I turned out alright."

Hermes nodded, "If only everyone of your siblings did so too."

All three demigods had sad thoughtful looks at that.

Deciding the moment had dragged on for too long, Rhode broke it with a question. "So was claiming Sue the reason your rooster guided me here?"

"Indeed dear cousin. I had you stop by and run into Susan. Helping you out let me flex the rules to see her since it was like a side quest of sorts."

"So you used me?" Rhode accused, reminded distantly but uncomfortably of Khione.

"At least you got a nice bed to sleep in after being on the run for days." Sue offered. "Plus you got to meet us, right?"

Rhode guessed that made sense.

"And think about all the possibilities of having Susan and Maud here having a connection to Camp Half-Blood. Because if I know these two, something fruitful will come from this little meeting." Hermes smiled slyly.

The quester could see the benefits in that too. She didn't know for sure what Sue's powers were, but Maud alone would be a great help. Plus they were loaded, and that would probably help a bunch too.

"I guess that makes up for it." The daughter of the seas grudgingly agreed.

"I always love watching you when you do that." Maud opined with a smile.

"Do what?" Rhode asked, her suspicions raised.

"Talk her way into getting whatever she wants." Maud explained. "Sue is extremely good at it. When she puts in the effort, I've never actually seen her fail at it."

"Of course she wouldn't." Hermes scoffed. "She's inherited my social manipulation ability."

"Your what?"

"Social Manipulation. The ability to instantly identify what to say or do in any social situation in order to achieve your own ends." The god said as if reading out of an encyclopedia.

"Why are you talking like Maud, Father?"

"Because you like it, Daughter." Hermes said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Sue and Hermes burst into laughter, while Maud blushed. Rhode just rolled her eyes, the two of them were definitely father and daughter. They had the same sense of humor.

"So she's a smooth talker. At least it's not charmspeak." Rhode grunted once the laughter died down and Hermes chuckled.

"My kids are good, but not that good. Even my tongue may turn to lead when dealing with that woman." Hermes chuckled as he spoke of the goddess of love.

"Did she get the usual Hermes children arsenal on top of that?" Rhode asked the god.

"Mostly her skills as a thief. She's good at cracking security systems to a supernatural level. Be it physical and digital. Though you should watch out when using the internet too much outside your little fortress. That and cellphones are like trackers for monsters thanks to Lamia's little curse." Hermes told his daughter

Rhode blinked. Hermes had just dropped an information bomb.

"The reason why we can't use cellphones or the internet is because of a monster's curse?"

Hermes nodded, "Chiron didn't tell you guys? I swear he was supposed to."

"Nope," Rhode said with a shake of her head. "Thanks for telling me Lord Hermes, now that we know what it is that's causing this, maybe we can find a way to break the curse."

"Good luck with that," Hermes said genuinely. "Hecate herself has tried and failed. Nothing short of killing Lamia will likely even affect it and well, she's dead already."

"Isn't she a monster?"

"Yeah, but she's not reformed, like, ever as far as anyone knows. Or maybe she has and she's using the Mist to hide? She's only died the once and the curse was her death curse. One of the sickest going away presents if I ever saw one."

While Rhode and Hermes discussed Lamia's curse, Sue and Maud were whispering to each other. As that discussion wound down, they re-entered the conversation.

"Father, I have a question," Sue said as Maud gave her an encouraging look. "If you're the messenger god, doesn't that mean you're super busy? How on earth did you find the time to pretend to be Bob or be here now?"

"Yeah, but I'm still a god." Hermes smiled as the wings on his shoes fluttered rapidly, "Time management is one of my specialities."

 _Is that how he managed to find the time to take care of Luke's mum after he ran away?_ Rhode blinked in confusion. She'd seen how much care Mrs. Castellan needed on a daily basis, how could even a god like Hermes juggle both taking care of her and his duties? Just good time management? Really?

Hermes shared a small sad smile at her, affirming her suspicion.

Rhode was beginning to see that Luke was completely wrong about his father. He hadn't abandoned him at all. Instead, his father was just like her dad. He was doing everything within his powers and the limits imposed on him by being a god to take care of his lovers and children. He just couldn't do anywhere near as much as was needed, but he was still trying his best.

The daughter of the seas wanted to grill the god more, and try to understand him better, in the hopes that maybe she could correct some of Luke's misunderstandings when she got back to Camp. However, before she could say anything, a servant made of vaporous Mist drifted towards Rhode and said, _"Miss Evans, it is nearly time for your train. I would suggest getting ready."_

"Train?" Rhode looked at the servant in confusion, even as it handed over her travel bag that It had apparently packed with all her gear and even some fresh food, as well as a supply of new nectar and ambrosia.

Hermes cleared his throat, grabbing her attention. He winked at her and she put the rest together.

_Thanks for the lift._

He just winked in reply.

"Hey, before I head out here, could I borrow some pen and paper?"

Maud gestured to a writing pad next to the phone.

Rhode quickly wrote down the Camp's contact information, tearing it off she handed the paper to Sue. "This is Camp's number. Call them."

"We will." Sue assured her with a grin. "Have a safe trip."

"It was nice meeting you, Rhode." Maud said as she came forward and shook her hand. "Until we meet again."

"Till then." Rhode agreed. "Bye everyone."

"Have a swift journey, cousin." Hermes said meaningfully.

Rhode was surprised at the blessing on top of the free trip, but accepted it with a grateful nod before turning and making her departure.

"Sue, Maud, I have a suggestion. How about a home away from home for Campers?"

As the door closed, the daughter of Poseidon smiled.

_The world just got a little better I think._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always.
> 
> So here we are, another quest and Rhode is already being sidetracked by things. Or maybe not as the prophecy told her to go there in the first place.
> 
> Nameless: The Lillies' mansion is basically the Venfort Hall Mansion. Google it if you want to see what it looks like. We, or more importantly Rhode in-story, doesn't know anywhere near enough about architecture to do it justice.
> 
> And yet another lovely pairing for a series that is heavily dosed in the love between flowers. Well, there is a reason for that.
> 
> Nameless: As for why there's suddenly another lesbian couple in the story. Well… It's definitely not for political correctness, if it was there'd be more gays and transgenders too. Instead the reason is a lot simpler. We're perverts with a thing for lesbians. That said, once we noticed there seemed to be an overabundance of lesbian couples in the fic, we decided to give it an in-story explanation but it won't be revealed for a while. Stay tuned to find out what it is.
> 
> Yeah, what he said. Anyway, I hope it was a fun little side-venture to read because the Lillies were some interesting ladies to write about. Thanks for the homage drop Nameless.
> 
> Nameless: Yup, the Lillies are actually a homage to a book called Fingersmith. Quite a nice little read. Go take a look if you like fiction set in Victorian Britain, lesbians, complex plots, or a combination of the above.
> 
> You know what to do, smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	15. First Steps to War - All Things End

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Fifteen: First Steps to War - All Things End**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

The train ride from Massachusetts through Delaware had been uneventful and Rhode was enjoying an uncharacteristically peaceful trip. It was rare for travel during a demigod's quest to go so well. Just look at all the trouble she'd had to go through to reach the Lillies' place? She knew it wouldn't last, so she was determined to enjoy it while it did.

She was doing just that by sitting back and relaxing when the chime of the loudspeaker sounded with an announcement. _"Now arriving at Wilmington Station. Now arriving at Wilmington Station."_

Her stomach grumbled as the notification reached her ears. The idea of stopping and grabbing something to eat sounded like a great idea. She should have a few minutes while the train stopped to grab something and return to her seat.

She was just stepping off the train when a series of loud grunts caught her attention. Turning to the source of the noise, she spotted a truly grotesque monster. Muscling its way through the thankfully largely empty station, was a pig as big as a barn with a mottled gray hide and sword sized bristles.

In her mind, Rhode cursed herself for jinxing the tranquility of her trip up to this point.

There were several giant pigs in ancient legends and the brunette didn't know which one this was yet. At least it didn't have wings so thankfully it wasn't the Clazmonian Sow.

Looking around, the demigod cursed as she took in the location she had been caught in. There were too many mortals around here to fight such a massive monster.

Thinking quickly, Rhode ran down the tracks and started shouting. If the monster followed, she could lure it into the more open parking lot a little ways down the track and fight it there.

"Hey! Over here! Come on, Bacon Breath!"

As she ran, the mortals blind to the presence of the monster in their midst, just looked at her as if she was nuts. The demigod could care less as long as she could keep the pig's attention on her.

The pig zeroed in on her voice, and began sniffing the air with its snout. The moment it did, it seemed to immediately lost all interest in Rhode. Instead, it turned its attention to a man standing nearby. He was a businessman who was too busy talking on his phone to even notice as the monstrous pig lunged at him.

With a squeal, the beast opened its maw and chomped down. His body now missing everything above the waist, collapsed to the ground in a bloody mess.

The whole area erupted with screams and people cried out for 9-1-1 while saying that the man had been mauled by a 'bear' of all things.

"No! Hey! I said I'm over here!" Rhode shouted desperately as she inched further away.

_Come on, I'm a child of Poseidon! It should be focusing on my scent, not the mortals!_

The pig continued to ignore her, as it ran towards a cluster of mortals that turned to run but were bulled over by the monster. Knocked down and disoriented, they could do nothing as the pig squealed in pleasure and began to feast on them.

Seeing the maneater gorge itself on innocent mortals, Rhode felt something snap inside of her.

Spellbound in hand, she charged at it with a warcry. The scream didn't even draw the beast's attention with how lost it was in its buffet of mortal flesh.

Swinging the trident in wild arcs, the celestial bronze blades easily cut through the bristles on the pig's flank. Rhode continued to hack at it, uncaring as the bristles cut or stabbed at her body.

The beast let out of a gurgle of annoyance and with a casual swing of its bulk, its body slammed right into the enraged demigod. She was too deep in her rage to even notice that the pig was counterattacking and completely failed to even raise her guard. She hadn't even activated the armor effect of her runes!

As such the child of Poseidon was utterly unprepared as the razor sharp bristles of the monster's hide pierced her unarmored skin. The many sword-like hairs punched through her in what felt like a hundred different places, pinning all her limbs and it was only by sheer luck or the protection of some god that she wasn't killed outright. Though considering how quickly she was bleeding out, she might not be putting off that meeting with Thanatos for much longer.

In too much pain for conscious thought, Rhode reverted to raw instinct and her mind desperately sought out the nearest water source. Wild green eyes searched and searched until they landed on a firehose on a nearby wall. She could sense the water just beyond the tap, but even consumed by pain and rage her mind skittered away from manipulating the water pressure to force the tap open. Reaching further, she sensed a source of water just outside of sight.

It felt different to her somehow, but she was too far gone to really notice as she called it to her aid.

Still unable to see the water she was controlling, she shaped it into spear. As she did, her rage poured into the construct and she could feel it freezing. Instinctively knowing that this made it more lethal she did nothing to stop it and instead simply ordered the frozen spear to kill the pig. Too distracted by its meal, the beast did nothing as the ice spear flew right through its eye and straight into its tiny brain.

As the monster collapsed into gold dust with a mighty squeal, Rhode was freed from the bristles keeping her pinned and dropped to the ground with a thud.

Groaning, the brunette looked at the spear that had killed the beast. It was a jagged icicle that was bright crimson in color. Looking at the weapon she'd crafted, the child of Poseidon realized that in her desperate rage she had called to the closest source of liquid she could.

Her own blood.

Worse she still had to rely on it. She was too injured to move and desperately needed to heal herself. Oddly though, despite her best efforts the frozen blood refused to heed her commands.

"Wha-" Rhode began only to cut herself off as she coughed out some blood.

Unable to manipulate the blood, she reached out once more to any nearby water sources that she _could_ use and found some inside the train station building. Feeling out for it, a stream of water trickled out of the building. It was tinged yellow and brown.

 _Is that what I think it is?_ The demigod thought to herself, disgusted. _No way am I letting toilet water touch my wounds. I'm desperate but not_ that _desperate._

Instead of using the water to heal herself, she used it to uncap her water bottle filled with _clean_ water.

Uncapped, the bottle trickled out a slow but steady stream of water that Rhode used to heal her wounds and clean away the blood. She focused on closing her wounds to stop herself from bleeding out and regaining the use of her arms. Once she could move her upper limbs, the brunette immediately began struggling to open her bag. After a couple of failed attempts, she managed to fish out her cubes of ambrosia.

Without the slightest hint of hesitation or manners, she scarfed down a dozen of the cubes. An intense burning sensation filled her body, almost like she was about to burn up. Knowing that she'd reached her limit, Rhode immediately stopped and waited to allow the godly food to work its magic.

"Aaah." Rhode cried out in relief as the aches and pains in her body slowly ebbed away.

Looking at the pile of gold dust that had been the monster that had almost killed her, she spotted her spoil. One of the pig's deadly bristles had been left behind. Redirecting a small fraction of the water that she was still using to help the ambrosia in healing her body into a tendril, Rhode used it to pull the spoil towards her. Grasping it, she said, "Lord Hermes, I offer this spoil onto you. Thank you for your blessing. It probably saved my life just now."

A sudden gush of wind swept through the station as the thin blade-like bristle transformed into gold particles that the gust carried away.

Rhode felt proud of herself at having slain such a monster. She knew it was one of the famous pigs from the old days. Probably a sow since it didn't have tusks.

 _It was hungry for mortal flesh so it was a man eater too._ Rhode pondered as she slowly pushed herself to her feet, finally feeling recovered enough to do so. _Which one was that? I'll think about it when I'm back at Camp. Chiron'll have a better idea._

Either way, she was proud to have killed such a vile monster and saved all the people it would have gone on to kill to feed its hunger.

"All in a day's work for a hero."

* * *

When she had the strength, Rhode had cleaned herself up so she wouldn't be walking around like a slasher victim. Her train had been delayed due to the disruption of the 'bear attack' and the cleanup needed by the authorities.

Animal Control and the Wilmington police were still on the look out for the bear in question. They had even called in the Delaware state police to help in the hunt for the maneater.

Rather than being stuck for who knows how long answering questions for the authorities, Rhode had decided sneak out after using the Mist on the staff that had wanted everyone to stay and wait for the police.

Quickly checking the train timetable on her phone, she found a train that could take her where she wanted at the nearby Newark station that would leave in a couple hours.

It was about twenty minutes away by bus but that was still faster than waiting for the police to be done with the scene at the Wilmington station.

At the Newark station however she was met with frustration.

"There you go, young lady," The lady at the counter said. "Your train isn't for another few hours. Maybe you could take the time to get some rest? You look like you might need it."

 _At least the train pass that Hermes gave me is still valid._ The daughter of Poseidon mused as she took the magical pass back from the woman. _I don't think I could have afforded the fare otherwise. Not when I only have a little over three hundred bucks left._

"Alright, thank you." Rhode replied to the woman's suggestion, without letting on about her money woes.

The lady wasn't wrong. After the fight with the pig, she'd been exhausted. She'd been able to catch a quick nap on the bus ride over but that hadn't been anywhere near enough.

_Getting some real rest will do me some good. Now to find a comfortable place here._

Crashing at the station wasn't a bad idea, she would just have to keep her guard up. She wasn't worried about any petty mortal criminals, her experience as a street kid had given her a thorough education on which parts of the station was safest - which basically amounted to anywhere within sight of the station staff. That wouldn't mean squat though if another monster decided to pay a visit.

Finding an ideal spot in the station house she took a seat on the floor and got comfortable leaning against the wall. The counter lady shot her an exasperated look before glancing at the clock before giving an understanding nod.

"Try to get some sleep, dearie." She offered kindly. "I'll let you know when your train is almost here."

"Thank you." Rhode said while holding her backpack in her arms. Closing her eyes, the demigod let the exhaustion take her.

* * *

Rhode was dreaming, she could tell that much.

She was running through a forest. Her strides felt as if she was gliding over the land with an ease that was beyond her even after years of training as a hero. She felt the familiar weight of her shield strapped to her left arm and that of a spear in her other hand that she found she was oddly accustomed to as well.

The demigod felt as if she were invincible and untouchable. That she had the strength to crush any foe.

Her mighty stride was halted as the wide river she attempting to cross suddenly lashed out at her. Leaping back, her grip tightened around her spear as a column of water rose from the fast flowing currents and coalesced into a humanoid form that was several times taller than she was.

"Twice you escape me, Beast! There will not be a thrice! By the end of this day, your marrow will feed those in my currents!" The water being bellowed, as it lunged at her.

She gritted her teeth as she tensed her mighty muscles as she met the charge with one of her own.

"Your tides are nothing before the Greeks, River God! Your whimpering currents only delay Troy's final days!" She cried out confidently in her strangely baritone voice.

Rhode felt as though she was stuck in a bad play as her spear struck the river god. The celestial bronze tip piercing his watery skin, causing golden ichor to freely blow down his liquid body.

The river god bellowed, his anger clear as with one powerful swing of its inhumanly large arm, he smacked her back to the bank as if she was little more than a fly. Unwilling to give her the time to recover, the god called on his powers and the waters of his river rose up like a tidal wave with all the intent to come crashing down upon her.

Even as the god's wrath came down on her, Rhode felt no fear in her heart.

The god's wrath was not to be, as it was promptly met by a rain of molten missiles that soared through the sky. They impacted the wave and sent up a massive cloud of steam.

"Again?! The Olympians favor you once more, child of Thetis!? I curse you with all my rage! With the rage of Troy!" The god seethed as he slinked back into the river currents, the god's anger reflected by the churning surface, "May you one day feel the sharp taste of a god's wrath."

"But not today, Scamander." Rhode heard the warrior say as she felt herself drift back to wakefulness.

* * *

_Why did I just dream about being Achilles?_ Rhode thought to herself worriedly as she returned from Morpheus' realm. _And of him fighting Scamander no less? Especially when I'm on the way to meet said god?_

Demigod dreams were weird. That was without question, but from what Rhode knew about them, they usually meant something in the long run.

As such, she just knew this was a bad sign.

 _I'm gonna end up having to fight him, aren't I?_ Rhode reasoned, a sinking feeling growing in her gut.

"I really hate my luck." The daughter of Poseidon said with a resigned sigh.

"Oh good, you're up." The station lady said as she looked over at Rhode. "I was just about to wake you and let you know that your train should be here in five minutes."

Rubbing her eyes, Rhode thanked the woman as she stood up. Heading for the platform, she tried her best to push the worrying portent of the dream to the back of her mind as she waited the few remaining minutes for the train.

* * *

As it turned out, her efforts were in vain. All through the train ride out of Newark, she was plagued with a growing sense of dread over her coming fight with Scamander. She'd never fought an actual god before, and the looming prospect of doing so was scaring her in a way that she never expected.

Give her a monster any day. This wasn't ancient Greece where it seemed every demigod was stupid enough to decide to go challenge a god at some point. Times had changed. Half-bloods had grown a lot smarter over the centuries, thank you very much. She _knew_ she wasn't Hercules or Diomedes after all.

And yet here she was, possibly about to face death at the hands of a god who would not listen.

Rhode had been tempted to call her dad for some advice, but knew she couldn't. He'd explained the way quests worked once, at least as much as he was allowed. According to him, the more help a quester received along the way then the more trouble they'd face too. It was a kind of equivalent exchange.

So unless she wanted to really make her life more difficult, calling for help was not an option. Well, except in cases where there were no _other_ options at least.

She wasn't there yet and she prayed to Olympus that she wouldn't get there.

Mustering her resolve, Rhode decided she'd just have to tough things out for now.

 _Who knows, maybe he'll pity me._ She drearily thought.

She'd just managed to firm her resolve to that effect when the train pulled into Richmond, Virginia. It was one of the closest towns to the Rappahannock River and her stop.

Coincidentally it happened to be early afternoon by now, and Rhode's stomach had began demanding to be fed. It'd been more than a full day since she'd had a decent meal back at the Lillies'. The horrible food she'd grabbed on the trains didn't count.

Deciding she didn't want to be worried on an empty stomach she got off the train to grab some lunch.

 _Richmond, huh?_ The daughter of Poseidon mused, _I think I should go pay my respects too._

With her two goals in mind, Rhode left the station and headed in the direction she remembered Hal Green's mansion had once stood.

_Hopefully there's something good to eat on the way._

As she walked along, she saw some girls playing on the sidewalk. They were using two jump ropes to play Double Dutch. Giggling and enjoying themselves in a carefree manner as they skipped the ropes.

The sight brought back pleasant memories for the demigoddess, as she recalled how she and Thalia had played the same thing with some neighborhood girls that one time they were in Georgia.

 _Simpler times._ She mused to herself as she found a diner. The smell of food and grease that filled the air made it seem like the place was stuck in the 70s. Chrome tables and red cushioned seats set up in rows as jazz music oozed from a jukebox just added to the effect.

Taking a seat at the counter a waitress a few years older than herself asked, "What'll ya have?"

Glancing at the menu, Rhode said, "A burger with the works and a Coke."

"Comin' right up."

Waiting for her order, Rhode admired the diner. The place had an authentically homely feel to it and she was impressed by the obvious effort that had been put into preserving that.

Her drink had just arrived and she was taking a refreshing sip when something on the news playing on the TV in the corner caught her attention.

"In other news, former actress Beryl Grace has passed away due to a DUI accident when her car collided with a tree. Paramedics say she was dead on arrival. The famed eighties starlet is remembered from such shows as-"

Rhode tuned the rest out as the processed that Thalia's mother had died. She knew the woman wasn't a good person, and had become an extreme alcoholic after her career tanked.

That being the case, the demigoddess couldn't help but feel that the woman got her just desserts.

_Nemesis is a bitch._

* * *

Before heading to her true destination, Rhode had decided to go to the one place in Virginia that had left a lasting impact on her life.

In an old colonial era neighborhood, the demigod of Poseidon stood before the brunt plot of land that had once belonged to Halcyon Green, son of Apollo.

Placing flowers she had picked along the way at the edge of the property, she felt...older.

It had been so long ago that she had been trapped in that house. The brunette had been young and naive then, but still it was a happy time despite all the dangers that came with living on the streets. It was definitely simpler times, at least. No hypocritical wizards. The gods were a lot more distant too, not the potential ticking time bombs that Mr. D and the many gods on her phone's contact list were.

Closing her eyes, Rhode thought back to those long lost days on the road with Thalia, Luke, Annabeth and Grover.

"Hello Hal. It's been a while, but I'm still alive. Thalia turned into a tree, sleeping like you said. Luke's doing fine so you were wrong about him. As for me? I see why you said Wrath was my bane and man, the trouble I keep getting into. I don't know where you went when you died, but I hope you found some peace in the Underworld. I might end up meeting you there soon if I don't survive today."

" _Hello, child."_ A ghost that Rhode immediately recognized said as it materialized a few feet in front of her.

"H-Hal!?"

The man looked the same as when she last saw him, but his snake-skin suit was gone and replaced by a simple white suit instead. He was also, much to Rhdoe's relief, speaking with his own voice.

He smiled at her, happy to see her.

"Okay. You're here so I'm either losing it or…" Rhode pondered how a spirit long dead was here in the mortal plane. It made no sense to her.

" _Lord Hades and Lady Melinoe have allowed me this chance to visit you in this form,"_ He said gesturing to his ghostly body. _"At the behest of my father to deliver you a message."_

Rhode crossed her arms, her guard going up at the mention of her Uncle.

"That was… kind of them." Her voice was tight.

" _They are worried for you, Rhode. Very much so."_

"And I'm sure this interference won't backlash in any way." The living demigod muttered, looking down at the charred lawn.

" _It's already been paid for. Or have you forgotten the Crommyonian Sow?"_

 _So it was that one, good to know._ Rhode thought as she sighed and looked at the ghost, "What's got them so spooked then?"

" _Your final opponent on this quest is one you cannot defeat. Not alone."_

"And they are pretty desperate for this quest to succeed." Rhode realized, thinking back to how the gods had sent out practically all of the Camp's elite on what amounted to the same quest.

" _Yes, they do. And for very good reason."_

"Which, let me guess, you can't tell me."

The ghost regretfully shook his head.

Typical.

"Alright, what's the warning, Hal?"

" _In the words of my Father, 'The blue man is friend. In grass slithers thy true foe. Don't be a dumb-dumb."_

"A haiku, really?" Rhode asked, looking exasperated.

 _And a bad one at that._ She added but had enough restraint to not say aloud.

Hal just shrugged helplessly. _"It seems my Father is in a phase."_

"I figured," She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Anything else?"

" _Just some friendly advice of my own. Go take a nap."_ The ghost said with an impish smile as he vanished.

Fighting back a yawn, Rhode frowned.

"Cheeky old man. But he's right, I don't think I want to fight a god when I can barely keep my eyes open."

As if to prove her point, she failed to contain her next yawn.

"That settles it, I'm taking a rain check and getting some shut eye."

* * *

The next morning after a surprisingly restful sleep - Thank you Morpheus! - Rhode headed down to the Rappahannock River to meet Scamander about this mysterious "blade that only knows how to slay" that she'd been sent to find. Or as everything kept hinting at get into a fight with him.

It had been an hour as she followed the river, hiking through dirt paths and over large rocks. She had to admit, it was a pretty tranquil place. In fact, Rhode had just reached a particularly nice spot where the river narrowed a little to flow through a set of particularly large flat topped rocks and she was just considering stopping for a break when the river god decided to make his appearance.

He took the form of a giant of a man, at least ten feet tall, with blue skin and a neatly trimmed beard. He was dressed in traditional hoplite armor, with intricate designs of river life worked into the metal. Most disturbingly though was the image carved onto his breastplate which depicted him standing victorious over a figure that Rhode immediately recognized as Achilles.

Seeing the armor, Rhode's face twisted into a grimace.

"Hello Lord Scamand-"

"Be silent." The god's demanded sternly.

Rhode zipped her lip, praying to whatever god that was listening that she would not have to fight this god.

"Lamia tells me, godling, that you are Achilles reborn." His hollow white eyes looked down at her in a paint peeling glare.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the mention of that name, "And you believe her? A monster?"

"More than I believe someone known for wielding _that man_ 's shield!"

Rhode couldn't help herself. Scamander branding her a liar just because she used a particular tool was bad enough, but to choose Achilles' shield as the reason? One of her most treasured items? That was too much! She wasn't going to stand for it.

Giving into her anger, she belligerently called out, "Then bring it!"

The river god chuckled in amusement.

"Just so you know, I'm not afraid to beat up a woman."

"That's funny, cause neither am I." Rhode sniped back.

Immediately, the daughter of Poseidon reached out to the water flowing through the river next to her. To her shock however she felt her natural connection to the water being blocked, as if the water was obeying a higher power than herself.

_What the Ha-_

Rhode couldn't even finish her thought before the god was upon her. With a mighty kick that felt like it had broken at least half her ribs, if not outright shattered them, she was sent flying into the river.

As she was about to impact the water, it moved out of the way and to Rhode's dismay she fell right through to hit the rocky river bed hard. As she lay there dazed, the water rushed in to surround her but was careful to stay at least an inch away from her skin, making it impossible for her to use it to heal.

 _Damn! One kick and I'm as badly hurt as being shish kabobed by the Crommyonian Sow!_ Rhode thought to herself with a hint of admiration at the god's strength, even as she painfully uncapped her bottle of water and commanded the trickle of liquid that she could command to work on her injuries.

It was then she realized that she was running out of air. The river water had her trapped in what amounted to a tiny air bubble and she was quickly using up all the available oxygen inside of it.

"No!" Rhode cried out in a panic as she tried to swim. Only to come crashing back to the river bed as the river water refused to cooperate, moving out of the way as she attempted to push against it.

She was starting to feel light headed and desperation filled her mind.

 _I need to break the surface._ Her mind screamed as the claustrophobia began to set in. Reacting purely on instinct, she called out to all the liquid she could reach. The poisons she carried in her belt and the water from her bottle leapt into the focus of her senses. In frantic motions she uncapped the containers for the poisons and loosened the cap of the bottle even further, before she commanded all of the liquids to work together and propel her out of the suffocating river depths on a jet of liquid.

Flying out, Rhode landed on top of one of the large rocks that dotted the riverside. Taking in a deep gulp of air, she coughed a few times. Just as the brunette tried to get to her feet, a large blue hand grasped her around the waist.

Still disorientated by her near _drowning_ , she could not put up any resistance as he effortlessly raised her up high and slammed her back down into the rock. The force of the blow cracked the boulder and created a large indentation on its top. It would likely have killed her too, if not for the water she was still soaked in from her impromptu water cannon escape continually healing her and simultaneously increasing her durability.

Scamander was determined to rectify that however and kicked her hard in the side. This once more sent her flying and introduced her back into a world of pain. Gritting her teeth, she fought through the agony and activated her armor runes which saved her from being splattered against the rocks even as she bounced and tumbled through a very rough landing.

Finally coming to a stop, Rhode shakily got to her feet and watched warily as the god stalked towards her while radiating murderous intent.

 _Yeah, no. I'm not going to make this easy on you._ Rhode thought to herself as she fell into a defensive stance, deploying both Spellbound and Achilles' Shield in the same motion.

That proved to be a massive mistake. As the moment that the god laid eyes on the shield, his killing intent spiked. Blurring forward, he grabbed hold of the circle of metal. With incredible speed he wrenched the shield from Rhode's arm, dislocating her left arm in the process and forcing a scream from her lips.

In spite of her pain, she tried to stab him with Spellbound but he merely swatted her aside with such force that she almost dislocated that arm too. She did however lose her grip on her trident and it flew from her grasp to land some distance away where the river water promptly leapt up to drag it into its depths and out of Rhode's reach.

Still not satisfied with the damage he had inflicted to the by now largely hapless demigoddess, Scamander proceeded to introduce his greaves to her ribs several times.

"This is what Olympus has to muster nowadays?" The god said with a disappointed sneer, "Is this what all your training has led to, Achilles?"

Shaking his head in utter contempt, he kicked Rhode a final time and sent the pain hazed demigod flying once more.

Bouncing and tumbling over sand, rock and debris, Rhode came to a stop against a log that broke in half at the force of the collision

 _Holy shit,_ Rhode blinked the stars out of her eyes. Blood was flowing from her mouth that she could feel was now missing a few teeth and it seemed like practically all her bones were broken. She hadn't been fighting the god for more than a couple of minutes and he'd already beaten her into a bloody mess.

Spitting, a few chipped and whole teeth came out of her mouth.

"A waste of coming back to the mortal plane, Achilles."

She ignored the deluded god. She might not be Achilles and she might be losing badly so far, but she wasn't out of this fight yet. Determined, she called on the little water she had at her disposal to get to work on her injuries, especially her dislocation. She needed the use of both arms if she was to stand a chance against this guy.

"And this is why you cannot hope to defeat a god." He said as he grasped her shield from both sides tightly. With a strained grunt, the god slowly began to bend the celestial bronze shield. It took the god a moment of sustained effort but soon with an ear splitting snap, the ancient artifact broke in half. Still not satisfied, the god began to break the remains, now with noticeably more ease as the shield's magic had been shattered, into smaller pieces.

Rhode could only look in dumbfounded horror. She'd tried to get up and stop him but her legs wouldn't move, she'd tried to send her water and poisons at the god but was too broken up by the sight and her intense pain to muster the focus she needed to command them.

As the god finally finished desecrating her treasured shield, her shock transformed into ice cold fury. It numbed her pains, and sharpened her focus into a razor's edge. Letting the emotion carry her, Rhode clenched her fists and poured her magic into her runes.

"You son of a-!" She snarled as she jumped at the god with a right hook. It was blocked with ease, but she refused to let up as she began to attack with a flurry of punches. Each was blocked with equal almost contemptuous ease, which only served to further fuel her artic rage.

 _It isn't enough!_ Rhode angrily noted. _I've got to change tactics._

"Hmm. It seems I was wrong." Scamander admitted, as he parried another of the demigod's punches. "You are not Achilles. He would never show such a lack of skill."

If possible Rhode's anger grew even colder and falling back on her training in Pankration she attempted a push instead of a punch.

Parrying the new move, Scamander raised a brow. "Finally putting your training to good use, half-blood? Well, I suppose you have fought well enough so far. So why not decide this match with a contest?"

Rhode ignored the god's ranting, this fight wasn't over until she beat him to within an inch of his life.

If the god was aware of her thoughts, he ignored them instead choosing to continue outlining his proposal. "If you can get me into a submission hold for ten seconds, I'll yield."

The daughter of Poseidon didn't even bother to register what he said, instead choosing to switch things up with her attacks and go for a low kick. The god took a step back and retaliated with a punch.

This time, with the unnatural focus her anger was giving her, the brunette managed to see it coming and managed to evade it. The powerful blow passing barely an inch from her jaw as she moved out of the way.

It created an opening and Rhode exploited it by launching herself at Scamander. Her elbow slammed into his shin with great force, gaining a hiss of annoyance from the god. He tried to swat her with his palm, but she rolled out of the way just in time.

Seeing his muscles twitch in preparation for another devastating blow, she called out to her poisons and had them whip into his chest. They hit with such force that he staggered back, even as they ate into his armor defacing that horrid image of him standing over Achilles' broken body.

"Poisons?" The god tsked in annoyance as his exposed skin unfortunate enough to have touched the deadly liquids bubbled in irritation.

"How trite." The god said dismissively as he called on a portion of his river to flow over his body and wash away the caustic liquids. "Like mortals have not used the same tactics for thousands of years to kill rivers?"

Cleansed of the poisons, he stared down at her and charged.

Rhode knew getting hit by even one more blow from the god might just kill her. Her anger might have dulled her pain, but she was still very much aware of it and it told her that her body was at its very limits.

 _I can't get hit by him!_ Was a mantra that ran through the girl's mind as she blindly did what her instincts screamed at her to do and folded her legs under her before jumping up. The moment her feet touched the ground again, the earth shook in a minor tremor in the same instance as a huge chunk of Rhode's remaining strength flowed out of her.

It was worth it though as the quake caused Scamander's charge to falter as the god misplaced a step and tripped.

And there it was. Exactly what she was hoping for.

 _Opening!_ Her mind shouted for joy as she pushed her leaden limbs into action and rushed the god.

Before he could push himself off the ground, she grabbed hold of his left arm and bent it, overextending it and trapping it against her body. At the same time, she pulled back on his right arm in a vice grip keeping it locked in place as well. With his arms restrained and thus greatly reducing his ability to push himself up, she put herself into a position to have her full weight pressing down on his body. At last, she had him pinned

"Why you little-! Release me, child!"

"Like hell!"

The god struggled with all he had, or at least Rhode hoped it was all he had, because even pinned in such a way that his strength could not be leveraged properly, it was still taking everything that she could muster to hold him in place.

Her body screamed in pain and by the gods the child of Poseidon used every possible means to ignore it but it was so intense that she couldn't help screaming her throat raw as it overwhelmed her.

After what seemed like hours but must have only been ten seconds, Scamander stopped resisting.

He looked at her, seemingly impressed by her succeeding in his challenge.

"Well done. I yield." The god offered graciously even as he flexed his muscles one final time and broke the hold effortlessly, sending Rhode stumbling back in the process.

Collapsing onto the ground, exhausted and feeling utterly defeated despite her _supposed_ victory, Rhode could only glare at the god.

"Why have you come here, child of the seas?" The god asked genially as with a gesture he ordered a wave of water from his river to wash over the half-blood, allowing it to heal and rejuvenate her.

Fatigue ebbing away, Rhode shakily got to her feet. Rubbing her aching jaw, she said, "You have a sword. The Olympians want it."

"I have many swords." He retorted unflappably.

"A sword that can only slay." Rhode clarified disinterestedly as she noted with annoyance that while the healing effect of the water had stopped her teeth from bleeding and hurting, they still all looked messed up as it didn't replace her lost teeth or fix the chipped ones.

Scamander's eyes narrowed dangerously at hearing what she said.

"And what would the Twelve want with _that_ cursed blade?" The god replied warily.

"Like I care. I'm just here to pick it up."

"Hmm." The god hummed thoughtfully, "Lamia also expressed special interest in that sword when we toured my collection earlier."

Rhode's sea green eyes widened, "She must be after it too."

"And it's why she manipulated me into fighting you with that absurd lie. You, Achilles reborn? Nonsense. Blast that woman." The river god boiled in anger, literally so as his watery body churned violently and the waters of his river behind him growing more violent as well.

Without waiting for a response from Rhode, he jumped into the river with a shout, "Follow me child of Poseidon. To my palace."

* * *

Scamander's palace was like someone had sunk an ancient Greek temple under the river. It had galleries with frescoes depicting various famous scenes from the history of the gods and was lined with Greek columns that surrounded a central courtyard that housed three large buildings. The god led her into the smallest of the buildings, which turned out to be a museum of sorts with countless weapons exhibited on its walls.

She could understand why the sword she'd sent on this quest to find could be here. Scamander had quite the collection.

And standing in the main atrium of this museum was a woman that had glowing green eyes with serpentine slits, shriveled fingers tipped with hardened nails that looked like lizard-like claws, scales that dotted her skin and crocodile teeth. She must have been Lamia.

The sight of her reminded Rhode of Hermes having brought her up in conversation back at the Lillies' house. Perhaps he knew beforehand that she would run into her and was offering her a subtle heads up? Not that it mattered, either way she was still going to send this bitch screaming back to Tartarus.

"That blade..." Scamander said, his focus primarily on the weapon the monster had in its arms. "So you were intent on stealing it after all."

That drew Rhode's focus to the sword that the monster was holding. It was a double-edged sword made of two metals. Rhode was no blacksmith, but from the look of it they seemed to be tempered steel and Celestial Bronze.

A rather lethal combination for any foe. The sight of which caused goosebumps to run up the demigoddess' arms.

_Okay. That thing is giving me the chills just by looking at it. There's no way I'm letting something that's so obviously bad news get stolen by a monster._

"Vile witch, return that sword to its proper place right now and I might be merciful." The god snarled, his muscles rippling under his armor. At the same time, the chamber shook as the surrounding waters resonated with their master's anger and pounded the walls outside.

"No." The scaled witch answered as she secured the weapon behind her back with magic.

"What if I make you?" Rhode took a step forward, her body tensed for a fight.

"You, petty demigod?" The former queen scoffed, before smiling a truly terrifying smile. "After what I've done to your kind, do you honestly think I can take any of you seriously?"

"Don't remind me." The daughter of Poseidon warned dangerously, taking another step forward and spinning Spellbound at her side. "You're the crazy monster who cursed us all."

"Indeed." Lamia replied unfazed by Rhode's hostility. "A well deserved curse if there ever was one."

"Because one god fucks you over, we all pay the price?"

"One god!? What did Zeus, my lover, or my even mother Hecate do when Hera turned on me!? They all betrayed me!"

"And what goddess would go against Hera?" Rhode looked at her as if she was stupid, "Everyone knew the deal with Zeus. Yet you still took it up."

"A coward's betrayal is no less a betrayal. Just like your father's failure to save your mother is no less a betrayal." Lamia said with a dark smile, showing off her crocodile teeth.

"Shut up! Don't bring my dad into this!"

"Calm down, scion of Poseidon." Scamander warned. "Do not let the witch rile you up and leave her to me."

Rhode was, by this point, too furious to listen.

Smirking, Lamia just continuing taunting Rhode. "Why should I? Your father is just as guilty as the other gods of treating us 'lesser beings' as trash. He's just as much a true monster as all the other gods."

"Shut up! Shut up!" The brunette snarled and stomped her foot, causing the room to quiver.

"Child-" Scamander tried to raise his voice, but Lamia continued before he could say anything substantial. Not that Rhode was in the mood to hear anything he had to say. All her attention was focused on Lamia at the moment.

"The gods always make us suffer, girl. No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you'll always fail them in the end. Just like every. Other. Half-Blood. Or don't you remember your little Seashell Incident?"

At the mention of her greatest shame, any restraint Rhode still had evaporated. Even as the surrounding water dropped well below freezing, she bellowed a wordless roar and charged the monster.

"And now I cannot intervene." Scamander said with a sigh and stepped back, completely ignored by Rhode though Lamia shot him a victorious smirk.

Rhode had closed to within ten feet of Lamia when out of nowhere, a massive Drakon rematerialized right in front to her. The serpentine wyrm already has its vicious maw open and without even giving the demigoddess a moment to react unleashed a white hot flame from its throat.

She dove out of the way of the beam of fire that boiled the water all around its path, and her ADHD mind immediately began to formulate a plan to take out the Mist construct. She had barely even registered it as such however when she was literally bulled over by the Minotaur.

Tumbling to the ground, Rhode's vision swam as her body ached all over. She attempted to get up but was slapped back to the ground by the massive palm of an enormous Cyclops that towered over her. The blow powdered her bones and would have killed her if not for the water around her somehow working double time to heal her. It still left her half dead and all but helpless however as the one eyed giant pinned her to the ground by pressing down on her battered body.

She knew that they were only mistform creatures, but as with Maud's security system, Rhode couldn't dispel them. The daughter of Poseidon was _really_ wishing she paid more attention in her Mist manipulation lessons right now.

Suddenly, the Cyclops picked her up and threw her through the air like a ragdoll. It disappeared just as she hit the roof hard and fell back towards the ground, only to be replaced by the monstrous form of the constellation Cancer. The large crab scuttled till it was right under her, its large pincers clicking in anticipation as she fell back down and into its reach.

"Bye-bye child." Lamia called out to her just as one of Cancer's pincers thrust forward.

Her sea green eyes widened as the claw ripped through her shirt easily bypassing the armor defense her runes granted her and goring her stomach. The blow knocked the breath out of her but that was the least of her worries as it also pierced through quite a few of what the daughter of Poseidon was sure were her vital organs. Still not satisfied, the crab twisted and pushed on her innards for an agonizing eternity before finally ripping the claw out. In its wake, a massive spray of blood shot out from her grievous wound to stain the already red waters a even darker crimson.

Still clutching what looked like a portion of her intestines, Cancer snapped its pincers in victorious glee even as it disappeared and the viscera floated to the bottom a few feet from the badly wounded demigoddess from which it originated.

Smirking victoriously, Lamia strode towards the hapless half-blood as her claws extended as she itched to tear the foolish little godling to pieces and feast on her flesh.

As she rested to the floor, too injured to even move, Rhode could barely see straight as her vision swam in and out of focus. Coughing, her vision began to be stained red as she began to feel a bone deep chill start to settle into her body. She recognized the symptoms, she was in shock. Even with the seemingly supercharged healing effect of Scamander's river water, she had been so badly injured that she didn't know if she'd make it. Would she heal quickly enough to survive or would she succumb to her injuries before that?

 _Is this the end?_ Rhode thought to herself despairingly as Lamia closed on her with a twisted smile.

"Not so fast, witch." Scamander said darkly as he stepped between Rhode and the monster. "The Half-Blood is out of this fight. It's my turn now."

"Look at that," The sorceress said seemingly unfazed, but the wary look in her eye gave her away. "A god that breaks their pitiful little rules."

Scamander didn't answer, instead he chose to attack. Suddenly, the whole area took on a unnatural blue glow and the waters churned as it was suddenly saturated with immense power. The attack caused Lamia to stumble back with a pained hiss, but the witch was not so easily defeated. She retaliated by releasing a sickly green aura that vaguely reminded Rhode of the one Voldelich emitted. This foul aura seemed to sap Scamander's power from the area and replace it with her own poisonous energy.

The river god responded by starting to glow gold, presumably tapping into his godly nature, even as his dark blue aura grew exponentially stronger. Lamia seemed prepared for this however and responded in kind, her body becoming encased in a pitch black aura even as her poisonous green energy matched Scamander's own.

The two powerhouses kept upping the ante, until Rhode was practically blinded at the intensity of the light show they were giving off. A chill went down her spine as she realized just how utterly outclassed she, and by extension all demigods, were by the true might of the opponents they faced. The scene in front of her was Scamander and Lamia unleashing their full might, or something close to it, and it dwarfed the strength they had both used to nigh effortlessly beat the crap out of her in their earlier fights.

She was thankful that Scamander had been careful to shroud his true form that she was sure he had transformed into with this light show and keep her from being incinerated by the sight of it. That and she was pretty sure he was somehow making his river water pack an extra punch when it came to healing, because even though she was at Thanatos' door just a moment earlier, she was already feeling a lot better. Not fighting fit, but at least she thought she could move if she needed to.

That need appeared when she heard Lamia give a dark laugh and Scamander's power falter a step. He recovered almost immediately, but Rhode knew he'd just taken a bad hit.

Going for her bag, she quickly finished off a few of the bits and crumbs of ambrosia left and stuffed them into her mouth. Even before they could fully take effect, she pushed herself to her feet. Her legs shook wildly as she did so, but Rhode ignored it and they grew in strength anyway as the healing powers of the food of the gods kicked in.

Looking around to make sure that the monster and god were clearly distracted with each other, Rhode made her move. Trying to be as sneaky as she could, she slowly moved behind Lamia and waited for her chance.

Lamia let out a hiss and for a moment Rhode froze, worried that she'd been spotted. Scamander was on the ball however and took the opportunity to launch what must have been some kind of powerful attack because not only was the whole building suffused with his power, the whole world seem to shake as it struck Lamia whose dark aura enshrouded form recoiled form it.

Fishing Spellbound from her pocket after it returned, Rhode twisted it to release its trident form.

With a burst of water, Rhode rocketed right into Lamia's spine. The blades tore through the reptilian witch's stomach, the triple blades snagging organs along the way as blood darkened the waters.

The former queen screamed in agony at the mortal wound even as her dark aura exploded and sent Rhode slamming into a nearby wall hard enough to knock the many weapons displayed on it crashing down. Some god was looking out for her though, as none of them fell on her.

"Savor your hollow victory, child of the Great Prophecy." Lamia hissed painfully as she slowly dissolved into gold particles. "It won't matter in the end. Not when you will die long before your sixteenth birthday!"

And then the monster woman was gone, leaving behind only the cursed blade that she'd tried to steal as a spoil.

Rhode stared at the weapon in bewilderment, wondering just what the witch was talking about.

_The heck does me being sixteen have to do with anything?_

"Ignore it child." Scamander said breathlessly. "They were but the ravings of a madwoman."

Turning to look at the river god, Rhode found that Scamander looked visibly drained. The god's previously deep blue skin was now a much paler shade of blue and there was a large burn on his chest that was visible through the rent remains of his breastplate.

"You okay?"

"I'll recover." The god reassured her. "Give me some time to bask in my waters and I'll be as strong as ever."

"Right." Rhode nodded as she sat down, trying to catch her breath after her latest near death experience for the day.

"Child of Poseidon, I-" Scamander paused, looking conflicted for a moment before he took a breath and continued. "I must apologize for being deceived. The witch's words struck a chord in me. Thinking that the brat Achilles was among the world once more… angered me so."

"It's fine. I mean, I'm alive so at least there's that." She said with an exhausted grin.

Scamander frowned, clearly not satisfied with leaving things as is. After a moment, where he looked deep in thought, he walked over to a nearby wall that hadn't been wrecked. There sitting on a pedestal was a coin inside a glass case. Opening the case, he took it out and presented it to Rhode.

"As a means to make amends for my blunder take this token."

"What is it?"

"It is the Armor of Pallas." The god explained. Rhode eyed the coin with interest. She recognized that name. Pallas was a daughter of Triton that used to spar with Athena when the goddess had been young. Their fights had been so intense that Zeus feared the grey eyed goddess would be killed. So one day, he distracted Pallas for a single moment which caused Athena to accidently kill the water nymph. In her honor, Athena would later call herself Pallas Athena to keep the memory of her friend alive.

"What does it do?" Rhode asked as she accepted the coin with honor.

"Brush the symbol on the coin." Rhode did so and found herself suddenly clad in a full set of Greek armor covered in carvings that glowed with a soft green light. It consisted of a Corinthian helmet, breastplate, greaves and arm guards and all the other paraphenalia. Each piece of the armor looked intricately crafted as if they were each their own masterpiece. Underneath the armor, her clothes were gone as well, replaced by a black suit that was like a second skin.

"Wow!"

Scamander nodded, "It is quite impressive. As I'm sure you're aware, this armor belonged to Pallas. It was her divine symbol of power. As such, it will bring out the full power of the divine blood in your veins due to your joint connection to water. This will grant you the power boost and self-healing that you'd otherwise require exposure to water to use. Plus it should stack with those runic boosts you use though you will need to figure out how to apply them to the body suit. You'd need to experiment to be sure though."

"And the downside?" She asked, craning her neck to check the back of the armor.

"It is ultimately a divine symbol and you are still only a mortal. As such wearing it long-term is inadvisable to mortals, as the divine essence will hurt them more than help them over time. It's like ambrosia and nectar, too much use and it'll kill you. Be wary of not exceeding thirty minutes."

"Okay." Rhode said as she understood that while it was a powerful tool, she should only use it when she had to, "How do I turn it back into a coin?"

"Just touch the breast plate over your heart."

"Now, take that blade back to the gods, child of Poseidon." Scamander told her, his head looking deeper into the building. "I have much to clean up after this scuffle with the witch."

Rhode frowned at the god's sudden mood change. One minute he was gifting her with a priceless armor and then he was shooing her away?

"Fine," The daughter of Poseidon said with an annoyed huff and left as requested.

* * *

Scamander watched her go and gave a disappointed sigh. "I hope she'll be safe."

Turning towards the interior of his museum, he eyed the figure walking nonchalantly towards him.

"So I _will_ die today." The river god said with grim finality. "Lord Apollo was right."

The figure stopped, still shrouded in the shadows further down the hall. All that could be seen was that the intruder was short, a child perhaps, and the whites of its teeth as it offered a crooked smile while it raised a carbine at the god.

"Do your worst, godslayer."

It's smile taking on a bloodthirsty edge, the figure pulled the trigger on its weapon. From the barrel of its gun shot forth a multitude of spears of light. Scamander tried to call on his power to create a wall of hardened water to block the attack, but was too drained from his battle with Lamia to do so. As such the hail of deadly projectiles easily pierced through his desperate defense.

They left him resembling a pincushion, with one spear in particular having landed right between his eyes.

As his body began to disintegrate into gold dust, the figure held out a bottle which proceeded to suck the gold dust in.

"Goodbye Scamander, son of Oceanus, god of the Rappahannock." A distinctly feminine voice said, before breaking out into twisted laughter.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the wonderful team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> Wow, that fight twisted around huh? Scamander was always one god that stuck out to me when I would read about Troy. For all his bravado Achilles still had to run from this guy. Even with someone like Diomedes actually wounding Ares during the battle of Troy. Hope Rhode managed to entertain you all with a bit of wit, terrain manipulation and just the guts to not relent.
> 
> Nameless: Yeah, we aimed to show in that fight that gods are a lot more dangerous than the Riordanverse characters think. By our interpretation, in canon the gods are basically fighting them (when they do) in easy mode. Here we had Scamander fight Rhode while being a lot closer to his full potential than a normal god would be, and you see the result.
> 
> Lamia was always someone that I wished was explored more. She is definitely one of the more powerful monsters, like top tier. Rhode sneaking about as she avoids getting caught in the crossfire of a god/monster fight was the best she could do given how exhausting this quest has been for her. Seriously, what a trooper.
> 
> Nameless: Don't forget after the total asskicking that Lamia gave her. To be honest, if there's one thing about the Riordanverse that struck me as weak it was the treatment of the monsters/gods/titans/giants/etc. They don't usually do the myths justice. In the myths, they seem like truly supernatural things that are utterly beyond mortal comprehension. Which is what made their defeat in the myths by heroes so damn amazing and satisfying. But a lot of the time Rick just nerfed them so damn badly. So here we tried to reconcile the two ideas a little by showing that the gods/monster/etc. are actually holding back a lot when fighting demigods. Why? To give them a fighting chance. It's not sporting if the demigod just vaporizes at the sight of your true form is it? So Ancient Laws were put in place to make sure they play fair. Honestly, this is a bit of a cop out but it's the best we could come up with to reconcile the two views on the supernatural.
> 
> Also hope you guys understand what Rhode had recovered. How will it play into the story? Wait and see!
> 
> Nameless: If you don't, go read Luke's wiki entry. I'm sure you'll figure it out.
> 
> You guys know what to do, smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!


	16. First Steps to War - Belly of the Beast

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Sixteen: First Steps to War - Belly of the Beast**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Staring off at the sea while standing in Breakwater Harbor in Delaware, Rhode took a deep breath and enjoyed the feel of the the sea breeze sweeping through her hair. The waters called out to her as the waves crashed into the beach and sea salt sprayed in the air.

Rhode was happy to oblige.

With the cursed blade hung on her back, she knew that she had to get back to Camp as fast as she could. If Lamia was any indication, the monsters were willing to play hardball to get their claws on the thing. To prevent that, she needed to get the thing to safety before they could try again. With flying out of the question for a child of Poseidon, and after her issues with trains earlier in the quest, she had only one option left.

A sea route.

 _Alright, last stretch._ Rhode thought as she dove into the water. Entering the salty waters, the demigoddess felt a rush of energy surge through her. It was like a warm embrace and after the long journey she'd endured so far, it was a wonderful feeling.

Reaching out with her power, she called for help from the denizens of the deep. She needed a ride.

A neighing tickled her ears as Rhode turned to see a hippocampi swim up to her. A very familiar one.

"Skittles!" Rhode smiled brightly. Seeing the magical seahorse after such a long time gave her a wonderful feeling.

The hippocampi nuzzled her scaly snout against her face, making the girl giggle. Stroking the ocean spirit's mane, Rhode said, "Thanks for the ride, girl. I cannot wait to get home."

Skittles swam under her, hefting her up and Rhode gently grasped the hippocampi's mane.

"Alright girl, to Long Island Sound." She said as she used her heels to nudge Skittles' sides.

Neighing, Skittles swam through the waters at great speeds.

Feeling safe on her old friend's back, Rhode let herself relax. Leaning forward to hug the seahorse's neck, she let her mind wander as she let Skittles take charge.

They were just getting into the the truly deep water of the Atlantic when Rhode's connection with the sea tingled. Something massive was displacing a lot of water as it swam in her direction.

 _It's enormous._ The demigod noted as she released Skittles' neck and sat up, as her hydrosense gave her a feel of just how much of the sea the thing was pushing aside as it moved. _What is it? A blue whale?_

Skittles sensed it too and began panicking. She neighed in distress and began swimming faster in what was a clear bid to get away from whatever was coming. _Ok, not a whale then. Probably some kind of monster._

Grimly curious, Rhode turned towards the direction the object was coming from. The sight that greeted her was an immense creature the size of several city blocks with a long snake-like body that undulated through the water as it closed in rapidly, the flippers on its sides jutting out every so often to correct its course as it zeroed in on them.

 _It's a supersized Basilosaurus!_ Rhode realized as she urged her mount to pour on the speed in a bid to evade the monster in the guise of one of her favorite prehistoric aquatic mammals.

As the monster neared, it opened its gaping crocodile like maw filled with hundreds of menacing teeth. The thing was so big, it would have swallowed a school bus whole like it was a tic tac. Skittles poured on another desperate burst of speed and they managed to evade the whale like creature as it snapped its jaws shut inches from them.

This however meant they were swept up in the powerful wake of its passing and was tossed and turned by it. Rhode was however a scion of the sea god and Skittles was a spirit of the ocean itself, so they quickly recovered their bearings. Unfortunately, the few moments of disorientation was more than enough for the creature to turn back around and close once again.

They tried their best to swim out of the way again, but Nike wasn't with them this time and the gargantuan jaws snapped shut around the two old friends.

* * *

The moment the jaws snapped shut Rhode found herself surrounded by pitch black darkness even as she felt herself being sucked along by a immense pull. She could feel a mad torrent of water being pulled along with her and tried reaching out to it but the connection was muted and grew more so as she continued to tumble down what she could only assume was the monstrous whale's throat. The way the water was losing its connection to her was just like how it felt when people around her took a drink and the liquid disappeared from her senses.

In the darkness, Skittles' fearful neighing echoed in her mind as she called for help. But as heartbreaking as the cries were, Rhode was powerless to do anything.

 _Come on, what can I do? What can I-_ The daughter of Poseidon's frantic thoughts were abruptly cut off as she suddenly found herself ejected into a massive chamber full of a glowing mucus green liquid.

As soon as the disgusting looking stuff touched her, Rhode screamed. Every part of her burned. It burned like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Her eyes were on fire and she was plunged into darkness. Her whole body felt like she had just been thrown into a furnace.

Pushing past the pain as much as she could, the demigoddess did the one thing that could save her. Reaching with her hands even as she literally felt the skin on her fingers _melting_ off, Rhode grasped the Pallas coin and brushed her thumb over it.

Immediately, she was encased in the protective and healing Pallas Armor.

As her injuries healed, Rhode began frantically rummaging blindly through the hip pouch where her gear disappeared to when she used the armor and grabbed the whole bag of ambrosia she had. There wasn't much left at all and most of it was disintegrating around her fingers at the contact with the acid but she managed a mouthful before it completely crumbled.

Steadily, the darkness in her vision cleared and with a wince her sight fully returned.

 _That was close. Didn't think that would work._ Rhode thought to herself, relieved that her Pallas Armor enhanced the ambrosia like she thought it would. Otherwise even the food of the gods wouldn't have been able to heal her eyes. It was powerful but it normally couldn't replace missing body parts.

The moment that she was sure that she was safe for now, Rhode began to frantically look around for her hippocampi friend. She found Skittles floating a few feet away from her.

The poor hippocampus wasn't even making any noise. Her rainbow scales had already been destroyed by the acid even as she slowly sank towards the bottom of the pool. Whole chunks of her flesh was already peeling away from her body as the corrosive contents of the monster's stomach continued to carry out its macabre purpose and broke down its meal.

Seeing the sight before her caused tears to well up in Rhode's eyes, once more stinging them. Knowing that there was only one thing she could do for her friend now, she pulled out Spellbound. Taking a deep steadying breath, she acted as an angel of mercy and jabbed forward.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." The demigoddess murmured as the tri-blades ripped open Skittles throat, killing the poor magical beast instantly.

_Thank...you, friend._

As the words registered in her mind, Rhode felt as though her soul fractured.

Sadly, she couldn't properly mourn for poor Skittles. Not now at least.

She was still literally stuck inside the stomach of a monster and unless she could think of a way out, at the end of thirty minutes when her Armor gave out, she'd end up just as dead.

 _Damn it! Why aren't there any histories of heroes or lessons from Camp about dealing with this?_ Rhode griped as she swam through the acid to the nearest fleshy wall. _I guess it's because most people who end up here are probably already dead!_

"Well, I'm not going to die! Not today!" Rhode roared in defiance as she raised Spellbound overhead before plunging it deep into the monster's stomach wall. The blades cut deeply into the wall of muscles, and the daughter of Poseidon raked it across, tearing a deep wound into the flesh. She repeated this over and over again, letting her rage and grief over Skittles' grim fate fuel her as she dug a way to freedom. She was helped along in this process by the stomach acid itself, as once she'd cut away the relatively thin protective inner stomach lining it began to eat away at the flesh underneath.

As such, it was only a few minutes of effort later that Rhode had managed to cut away a sizable hole in stomach. As soon as she did, the acid she swam in swept her down a passage burning the meaty walls along the way before finally pooling in a large chamber. Pushing herself out of the knee deep and rapidly rising pool of acid, Rhode surveyed her surroundings even as the acid clinging to her armor bubbled away as it futilely tried to eat away at the divine metal.

"Alright, now how the Hades do I get out of here?!"

She had ended up in some kind of fleshy chamber as big as a cathedral. Running along its sides were bones that acted like pillars and doors leading in every imaginable direction. The valve like doors to the chamber however were closing, as the monster wisely sealed it off to contain the leaking acid.

Bursting into a sprint, Rhode just barely managed to dive through the nearest door as it sealed shut behind her. Having landed face first, the half-blood took a moment to catch her breath before pushing herself to her feet.

Doing so put her face to face with a skeletal head sticking out of the fleshy wall. She could barely make it out in the poor lighting provided solely by the subtle glow of her armor and the acid, but its glowing red eyes filled with malicious intent certainly helped.

For a moment, Rhode could only look on in horror as a horribly mutated corpse literally walked out of the flesh wall in front of her. It sported elongated arms adorned with bony blades the size of war scythes and talons and another set of normalish arms on the lower torso. Tattered rags hung from its desecrated body and Rhode's stomach churned as she realized it must been the remains of one the monster's victims.

 _Fucking zombies! Come on!_ Rhode thought as she took a cautious step back. The creature just gave a warbling moan and slashed at her with its scythe-like limbs.

Dodging the sloppy attack, Rhode brandished Spellbound and counterattacked. She stabbed it through the skull, but the thing didn't even seem to notice as it used its more human looking arms to grab the trident's shaft to hold it in place while lashing out with its blade arms once more.

The Pallas Armor withstood the blows effortlessly and Rhode swept Spellbound down, bisecting the rotting corpse in half. This finally seemed to be enough to kill the thing and it stilled.

"Let's hope that's the only-" Rhode stopped herself, as a trio of the slasher zombies walked out of the flesh with the lead appendages of even more steadily pushing their way out of the walls all around her.

"Gotta stop jinxing myself."

Okay, so apparently a _sea_ monster was able to manufacture _zombies_.

Rhode came to a single conclusion.

Run away.

As she ran she began getting pelted by globs of the same glowing green acid that had filled the whale's stomach. Glancing to their source, she glimpsed another type of zombie. This one seemed to all be made from the corpses of women who had their upper backs ripped open to allow for new bladed arms made entirely of mutated flesh along with exposed ribs. Their legs and waist were covered in dried blood, and the original arms were holding their ruined chests open. The split chest revealed lungs which had been grossly expanded and glowed with a faint green light. The poor women's mouths had been split open to accommodate a new monstrous jaw from which they spat the globs of acid at Rhode.

A few zombies, of both the slasher and spitter type, spawned in her path but she easily cut them down as she ran by. But that was just a drop in the bucket. By now there were so many of the things filling up the passageways in every direction that she had lost count.

 _Are those tunics?_ The demigoddess' ADHD mind noted as she ran past a group of slashers wearing the remains of clothes that wouldn't have looked out of place in Ancient Rome. _How long has this thing been eating people?_

"Ok. New approach." Rhode cried out desperately, as she tossed all her knockout gas marbles at the horde.

 _Hopefully that will take some of them out of the fight for a while._ Rhode prayed as she eyed the innumerable walking corpses that were all gunning for her.

The attempt to thin the swarm proved to be completely ineffective. In hindsight, throwing knockout gas at zombies seemed like a dumb idea.

"Well, at least I tried?" Rhode laughed bitterly, even as she grabbed hold of another set of her marbles. Running towards the thinnest part of the swarm, she threw her smoke bombs behind her.

Roaring a wordless war cry, the demigoddess skewered one of the slashers on Spellbound. With the hapless zombie shishkebabed on her weapon, she proceeded to use it as a bludgeon to knock the other four monsters in her way to the side. The way ahead cleared, she ran past the undead as they scrambled to get back to their feet.

As she ran, her ADHD thoughts focused on what these things actually were. _These things must be the monster's antibodies. And I'm the germ. Why does that make me sound like the bad guy here?_

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she spared a glance backwards and frowned as she noted that the other part of her plan was a bust. Her smoke bombs had proved just as useless as her knockout gas. The antibodies were all rushing through the smoke like it wasn't even there.

"This is just hax!" Rhode whined as she slapped a spitter to the slide with Spellbound as it closed to try its luck with its blades, smashing the poor deceased woman's necklace - the only article of clothing she still had on her body - to pieces in the process. "They don't rely on sight? Then that means they weren't even distracted by the built in flashbang effect either."

Growling in frustration, the demigoddess crossed yet another weapon off her list of options. _Alright, so smoke bombs are out of the picture._

Running pass the slashing limbs of a trio of zombies, she ruptured the acid filled lungs of the spitter in the group with a carefully aimed thrust of her trident. This left the trio to writhe as the deadly acid ate away at their decayed bodies, making it easy to run through the pack.

She eventually emerged into another of the large chambers that the monstrous whale seemed to have scattered throughout its body. Unlike the previous one this wasn't empty. Instead, in the centre of the room was some kind of hugely oversized nerve. Electricity crackled along the trailing fleshy bits that hung from its knobbly core. Around it were a whole forest of large stalactite and stalagmite like things made out of flesh that literally had thousands of the sea monster's undead antibodies sticking out of them. All of which were stirring. Worse, dozens of new meaty growths were growing out of the walls of the chamber where they rapidly took the form of giant tentacles. Fang lined tentacles!

She considered pinching this bastard's nerve. Literally.

But just looking at the veritable fortress that the monster had to defend it, Rhode felt her legs turn into jelly and she swore she might have peed a little.

"Oh no! I'm not letting you touch me! I've seen enough hentai to know that's a _bad_ ending." Rhode shouted with real fear as she ducked under the grasping reach of the nearest tentacle and burst into a sprint for an open exit to her left.

She would have turned around but the sounds of tormented moans behind her told her that the antibodies she had run past earlier had caught up and were cutting off her escape that way. Not that there wasn't a mob of the things here too, if anything there were more, but at least this batch were still only just getting to their feet. While the monsters was getting their act together, the demigoddess still had a chance.

Beneath her, the fleshy floor rumbled as another tentacle sprouted right in front of her and tried to grasp her. Her trident was a blur as it cut through the flesh-like trunk and she sprinted past it. She ducked under another tentacle and smirked as its swing smashed into a group of slashers on her tail. It looked like the tentacles were helping her more than being a threat. The things were so unwieldy that they were getting in the way of the antibodies more than they were hindering her.

Thanks to that she managed to create a good bit of distance between herself and the zombies.

She was just feet from escaping the chamber when the foul stench of decay that permeated the monster's interior was rapidly replaced with a familiar smell that sent alarms ringing in her head.

Ozone.

Her instincts screaming at her, she dove to the right. As she landed, she was almost blinded by a bright flash of light as a lightning bolt smashed into where she had stood seconds early. The blast had been so powerful that it had left a smoking crater in the meaty floor and it was only the Pallas Armor that kept her unharmed despite being caught so close to the impact.

Looking back at the nerve, she saw it sparking madly and with building intensity.

"Lightning?! Zombies! What else can you fucking do?!" Rhode gnashed her teeth as she clambered to her feet and raced down the passageway. "Damn it! Gotta get out or kill this thing ASAP!"

_I don't know how long I can keep going if this drags on._

She barely made it three feet down the tunnel of tissue when another bolt of electricity slammed into the entrance.

Ignoring it, she pelted full speed down the tunnel which was thankfully largely clear with only a handful of antibodies that she easily dispatched in her way.

The reason for the sparse resistance revealed itself as she exited the passage to emerge on a ledge that overlooked another vast chamber. It was filled with another forest of antibody filled stalactites and stalagmites.

"A trap!? Really? Now the whale thing is smart enough to trap me?" Rhode shouted with exasperation as the undead stirred and the way she came closed behind her. "Bullshit! And what is with this sea monster? Is it some kind of monster troop ship!? What's with all these rooms full of zombies?"

Whatever this monster was, it clearly took a page out of the Labyrinth of Daedalus. What with its myriad of passageways and rooms filled with one bad thing after another.

 _Now where's the freaking Minotaur wizard? Not like you don't have everything else!_ Rhode complained as she gripped Spellbound tightly and she looked at the coming swarm.

"Okay. Do or die. And you've always been a doer." The child of Poseidon said, trying to hype herself up for quite literally the fight of her life.

With one last steadying breath, she leapt into the air and used gravity to her advantage. Plunging down into the front rank of the zombies, her trident plunged into not one but two of the abominations. With a mighty warcry, Rhode swung the two impaled monsters off her polearm. They flew through the air like cannonballs to collide into a throng of their fellows, knocking dozens of them over.

The rest of the swarm rushed her but with a powerful sweep of Spellbound, Rhode cut through whole ranks of the antibodies, scattering them and killing dozens with a single stroke. Their bodies pushed back by the force of her motion into the other monstrosities behind them, thus forcing the whole horde back.

Exploiting the opening, she put all her strength into a forward thrust and impaled the antibody directly in front of her. Using it as a shield of sorts, she charged through the swarm towards an exit she spied on the far side of the chamber.

She was halfway to the exit when the swarm recovered enough to press her again. Reacting quickly, she threw the impaled body on Spellbound into the swarm. This knocked a trio of spitters over and gave her the opening she needed to fish out her explosive marbles.

With them in hand, she stabbed the first antibody to close into range right through its chest. Disoriented, the creature's guard was open. She exploited this to further slice it up with quick thrusts from Spellbound before she rushed past the dying creature to engage another, casually tossing a brace of three explosive marbles at it. The power as they detonated reduced it and a dozen or so of its neighbors into little more than piles of charred flesh.

Turning around to face the swarm to her rear, Rhode threw an explosive marble next to one of the leading antibodies that sent it flying.

Capitalizing on this, Rhode rushed forward and planted Spellbound into the ground. Using her weapon as a pole, she vaulted onto the zombie's back while it was still falling back to earth and slapped a marble onto its back by activating a special adhesive rune instead of the standard trigger.

 _Gotta work on having both runes work at the same time._ Rhode mused idly as she made sure the marble was secure before using the corpse as a launching pad to leap further into the air. Reaching behind her back she flicked the latches on her poison pouches open, there wasn't much left after her fight with Scamander, but she shaped the remainder into bolts and sent them flying at the reanimated dead man.

Her poison not only ate away at its flesh, the force of the bolts' impacts also further sped up its descent to earth. As it was finally about to crash back down into a pack of its fellows, one of her bolts hit home triggering the marble and causing a powerful explosion that destroyed the whole lot of them.

The force of the explosion sent her back a few feet in the air and she took a moment to admire the large gap in the endless army of foes that she'd created. But she couldn't defy gravity forever and she finally touched the ground soon enough. Rolling with the force of the landing, she jumped to her feet as soon as she could and broke into a breakneck run once more.

She raced down the nearest tunnel she could find even as the entrance began to close on her. Even as she ran down its length towards the dim light at the other end, she could visibly see it narrow as the monster tried to seal it around her and crush her in the process.

"No one. No one has worse luck than me!" She groaned and piled on her speed once more. At this rate, she could apply to be an Olympic runner!

Just barely making it out the other end as the tunnel sealed itself, Rhode stopped to take a much needed breather.

Surveying her surroundings as she did, she found herself in the largest cavity in the whale monster's body so far. It was mansion sized, like literally twice the size of the Lillys' place. The massive chamber was held up by the monster's ribs that looked like the size of buildings and came across as if they were arches of some macabre cathedral. All over the floor, walls and ceiling ran blood vessels as wide as highways that led to a house sized heart that hung overhead and pulsed with a ominous red light in time with its beats. The chamber rumbled constantly as its owner moved through the depths.

It was also empty of any antibodies.

"Ha, ha, ha," Rhode panted, her body ached all over despite the healing properties of her armor. It seemed it was coming down to her endurance to win this fight. "Last room. Time to end this game, jackass."

It seemed the monster had the same idea, as a massive mound of flesh grew out of the floor a hundred feet in front of Rhode.

"So quantity isn't doing the job, so you're switching to quality?" Rhode groaned as she eyed the latest abomination skittering towards her. It reminded her of one of Voldelich's fleshy abominations. Like the wizard's flesh golem, it was made out of countless corpses that had been fused together and reshaped like clay into something absolutely grotesque.

Instead of hind legs, it had a tail-like appendage that ended with a scorpion-like stinger. The central body of this monster was created around what looked like the corpse of a noblewoman as evidenced by the mop of disheveled long hair adorned by bejeweled ornaments that hung from its head. She was still dressed in the tattered remains of what must have once been a very fancy dress, though it had by now degraded to the point that her breasts spilled from her corset. Her monstrously expanded jaws was filled with innumerable teeth and from it hung a grotesquely long tongue that had been twisted into a tentacle from which, most disturbingly, the body and limbs of an infant body and limbs were growing out of. That the baby's fingers and toes had been transformed into wicked looking talons and its mouth into something that belonged on a lamprey just added to the horrific sight.

"Fuck me sideways…" Rhode tells herself as she brandished her weapon, ready to face the latest horror.

The abomination lashed out with its tongue, which moved quick as a viper. The appendage barely missed her as Rhode ducked to the side to avoid it. She was about to cut it off, but it moved out of the way faster than she could register and latched onto her leg. To her horror, the twisted little baby zombie sank its talons between the gaps in her greaves and attached its toothy suction cup mouth to the exposed portion of her sandaled foot.

 _Really wishing the armor covered every bit of flesh right now. Why weren't there ancient Nikes?_ Rhode whined as she bit back a pained groan.

Before she could think anything else much less retaliate, the twisted zombie thing used its tongue to pull her entire body forward, dragging her along the ground for a bit before it finally flung her into the air. Before she could even register what was happening, her body crashed back into the fleshy ground with such force that even through her armor she gave out a grunt of pain.

The monster tried to capitalize on her distraction by raising its stinger to stab her with it, but Rhode recover just in time and managed to roll out of the way.

The creature sent its tongue out to grab her again, but this time the daughter of Poseidon knew what to expect and snapped Spellbound out in a desperate swing the moment it neared. She couldn't really follow the whip like thing's movement but she was lucky and her wild swing managed to cut the appendage off.

The creature probably didn't feel pain, but it howled nevertheless. Though it came out sounding more like a sorrowful wail than anything else.

Contrary to the tone of its cry however, it launched into a furious attack as it tried to skewer Rhode with a flurry of rapid strikes from its stinger. The demigoddess dodged several and were forced to parry even more, but as the rapid exchange of blows continued Rhode noticed something. The whole stinger limb was held together by what looked like a glowing green sack made of the distended stomach of the corpse of another baby.

_Now how am I going to hit that obvious weak point._

That was a very real problem for the daughter of the seas at the moment as she was utterly exhausted. Even as she twisted her body around the rapid strikes, Rhode was making sure to use as little movement as needed so she could save what little energy she had left. So how was she going to find the strength to go on the offensive?

 _And that's not the only problem._ The brunette noted with a hint of fear as she eyed how though the narrow misses of the zombie's stinger felt like little more than light punches, they had nevertheless managed to scratch the Pallas Armor as they scraped across its surface. Something nothing so far had been able to do.

_Can't risk it scoring a direct hit then. Dunno if even the Pallas Armor can hold up to that._

Out of the corner of her eye, she noted slasher and spitter antibodies had began to pour into the heart chamber. It seemed the whale was getting impatient or worried.

 _If those swarm me while I'm still fighting this thing I'm done for._ Rhode concluded with a frown. _Time to gamble._

Parrying another of the scorpion zombie's thrusts, Rhode fell to the ground and rolled back. This caught her opponent off guard and its next strike missed. Using the breather while it recovered, the demigoddess struck.

Shifting her trident into a throwing stance, Rhode sent the polearm flying at the abomination like a javelin. Rhode was usually an awful shot at using ranged weapons outside of her powers but Nike seemed to be with her and she hit her target. It wasn't a direct hit but it was close enough. Spellbound's blades nicked the vulnerable sack that the stinger hung from and it promptly exploded, showering green coloured acid all over the place even as the stinger flew off to land a few feet away.

Lumbering forward, it's body rippling from its movement, the monster gave a mournful cry and swatted at Rhode with the bladed tip of its left arm. The thing was slow though and the lost of its stinger seemed to unbalance it in more ways than one, thus allowing Rhode to easily evade the swing. She however was at the limits of her endurance herself and so totally missed the backswing as it slammed into her side.

The strike sent her flying only to crash back to earth right in the middle of a group of the slashers and spitters. The horde screeched and hissed at her as they tried to stab her, but their blades bounced off her armor as if they were nothing.

Grunting, Rhode reached for Spellbound, which had returned to her. Activating the weapon, she made a wide sweeping motion and scythed through the zombies. As they continued to press her, she repeatedly spun on the balls of her feet while sweeping her polearm in a large arc. In effect, she had become a whirlwind of destruction that literally blended the undead antibodies into chunks of rotten meat.

Having cleared the bulk of the horde, Rhode turned to see the scorpion monster was cannibalizing its fellows and using their flesh to heal itself. Already, the stump where the stinger had fallen off looked like it had gained a few inches as the decayed flesh at its tip bubbled with new growth.

"Oh no you don't!" Rhode roared as she rushed at the wounded scorpion monster.

The thing abandoned its cannibalistic regeneration and turned to face her, but Rhode ducked under its first swing and dug her trident deep into its large belly and kept running, splitting it open as she did. The arms of the bodies that it was made out of detached from the main mass that they had previously been fused with and desperately tried to grab at Rhode, but she swatted them away.

Clear of the monster, Rhode turned to see it stagger for a moment before collapsing and becoming still. It seemed being cut open was finally too much for it.

_Ok. Time for another breather._

Kneeling, Rhode planted Spellbound into the fleshy ground and leaned on it to keep herself upright. Her stamina was pretty much exhausted and the brunette needed a minute to dredge up as much strength as she could. This fight wasn't over.

Not by a long shot as another swarm of lesser antibodies closed in on her position.

 _I can't keep doing this, it's practically a never ending cycle!_ Rhode furiously thought as she looked around quickly for something, anything she could use to turn the situation around and eyed the heart.

If only she could only get up there.

Rhode looked at the walls of tissue to either side of the vast room and a spark of inspiration hit her.

Hefting Spellbound over her head, she threw it over the coming horde where it proceeded to embed itself into the wall twenty feet up.

"Alright, don't land on the ground or you're dead. " Rhode told herself as she ran at the zombies. Just as she was ten feet away, she bent low and with all her strength _leapt_ over the horde in a great big jump.

The monsters futilely tried to reach out for her, but she was too high. She however also fell short of her target. Coming down, she landed on the shoulders of one zombie and before it could crumple to the ground from holding up her weight, she leapt off again. With this second jump however she finally made it and with a rather desperate grab she managed to catch hold of the embedded Spellbound.

She hung there for a moment, catching her breath once again and lining up for her next reckless move.

 _I really hope I don't screw this up._ The demigoddess prayed as she swung herself nervously in preparation before finally throwing herself at the nearest blood vessel.

She landed shakily, almost immediately losing her balance and falling off. However, with some desperate swinging around of her weight, she managed to stick the landing. Almost gave herself a heart attack trying though.

She shook it off, she had no time for that at the moment. Not when the whale responded to her landing by sprouting a ton of thorny tentacles along the blood vessel she was standing on to stop her. She wasn't going to let it though and swerving past their reaching grasp, she cut all of them that got too close to ribbons with the last of her poisons.

 _Really wish I could use the 'sword that only slays' right now._ Rhode mused as she felt the weight of the sword that remained strapped to her back even over her armor. _But tempting the Fates is a bad idea. Especially right now._

Who knew how it could backfire on her in such a crucial moment.

The large pulsating heart was getting closer, and her bloodlust demanded the monster's death as retribution for what happened to her friend. She raced towards it even as she waited for her weapon to return to her.

She felt Spellbound rematerialize in her hip pouch and her fingers immediately wrapped around it as tightly as she could. Drawing it out and activating it all in one smooth motion, she raised it overhead and lunged forward.

The blades cut deep into the heart, but the heart was so massive that this was barely a pinprick to it. This didn't deter the demigoddess though and she planted her feet as she stood on its pulsing side.

"Take this you hungry asshole! And choke on it!" She roared as she pulled the weapon free with a wet pop. Letting her fury take over, she began hacking and slashing at it, the by now frozen celestial bronze easily cutting through the fragile muscles of the foul beast's heart.

With each blow, the monster howled in agony until with one last whimper of pain the heart finally stopped beating. The red light it gave off fading with it.

"...I did it… Holy shit, I actually killed it." Rhode breathed out, her entire body covered in the beast's disgusting black blood.

She stood there waiting impatiently for a long moment, and when the monster didn't collapse into gold dust she frowned.

"Okay, what's going on? I should be swimming in a sea of gold by now . Unless..." The daughter of Poseidon trailed off as she took another look around her. "You're shitting me? This whole thing is my spoil? How the Hades am I supposed to use this!?"

 _The real question is, how am I going to get out of here?_ She thought and glanced below her. The heart chamber was full to bursting with antibodies, who apparently hadn't gotten the memo and dropped dead. Instead, they were acting like they'd lost their minds and were busy tearing into each other in what appeared to be an insane free for all.

Stupid self sufficient bodies.

 _Wait! Am I seeing things!?_ Rhode thought to herself as she looked on in shock as one of the slashers and a spitter gave each other a hug before mutually using their bladed arms to cut the other open. Elsewhere, another couple were kissing while eviscerating each other.

It gave a whole new spin to the orgy of violence below her. The antibodies weren't going mad, they were finally free of the whale monster's control and the poor souls were taking the chance to free themselves and each other from their wretched existence.

 _Okay, I'm done. Get me out of here!_ The demigoddess shouted in her mind and made a mad dash for the side of the body. The blood vessel she was standing on eventually disappeared into the floor of the heart chamber and led her right into a cluster of antibodies which were all hugging each other.

As she neared, they all turned to her and spread their arms wide. It didn't take a genius for Rhode to figure out what they wanted.

"You zombies can't be serious?" A couple of them nodded, while the rest just advanced on her with their arms still held to their sides and presenting her with their vulnerable bellies.

 _Did they get their senses back once I killed the monster?_ Rhode felt a sense of sympathy come over her as she gripped Spellbound tightly.

"Puh-leazzz!" One of the slashers pleaded in a broken voice.

"Gods why me?" Rhode muttered to herself as she obliged and used her trident to bisect the creature.

Most of the swarm were satisfied with liberating themselves or being liberated by their fellows on their own, but a seemingly endless stream of them presented themselves to Rhode as she walked somberly towards the side of the chamber. With them coming up to her like this, she could see the odd and ends on their mutated bodies that denoted individual lives. Scraps of clothing, pieces of jewelry, even in one case a badly decomposed necklace of Camp Half-Blood beads. The last one especially hit home for Rhode. These things might be zombies now, but they had once been people. Just like her.

With tears rolling down her cheeks like a river and a constant refrain of prayers for their souls on her lips, she freed each and every one of them from their torment.

By one of the ribs, she started cutting at the massive whale's flesh. Panting, Rhode gave a baleful glare at the blubber before her.

"This is going to take me hours." She said, her arms shaking a little from her exhaustion. Even then, she spared enough of her flagging strength to grant a final rest to any zombie that came to her for it.

She had just finishing doing that for a spitter who was still wearing a set of bikini bottoms when she noticed the sound of hacking from the other side of the walls of blubber and meat. It was heavily muffled, but she was certain she was hearing someone, a lot of them actually, cutting away on the outside.

"Hey! I'm over here!" Rhode cried hopefully as she dug her trident into the obstacle in front of her with fervor, muscling through the pain of her aching body.

The sounds of hacking grew silent for a moment and Rhode's heart stopped in worry.

"There might be someone in there! Get the drill quick!" She managed to hear the faint sound of someone shouting on the outside.

_Drill?_

Looking at her trident, she slapped her forehead in frustration, "A drill, duh! Man, why didn't I think of that?"

Summoning water from her water bottle, she shaped it around the tip of her weapon. She then had the gathered water begin to spin rapidly, thus creating a makeshift drill. Her construct complete, Rhode shoved it into the blubber right in front of her.

With her new tool, Rhode transformed what might have been hours of digging through gore into the work of minutes. Though a lot of that reduction in time and effort was due to the mermen digging in from the outside.

Yes, mermen.

One minute Rhode was tiredly digging through the flesh and the next she was thrusting her trident through a celestial bronze drill manned by a trio of mermen. They were wearing orange vests and seashell-like hard hats as they hefted the remains of the wrecked drill to the side.

Seawater rushed in and and left Rhode feeling refreshed. It was a far cry to being soaked in monster blood or stomach acid.

"Hey, you guys are lifesavers. Seriously." She smiled at them tiredly.

"Milady!?" One of the mermen gasped out in shock at seeing her, while the others just stared at her in disbelief. "A daughter of Lord Poseidon here!?"

"Uh, hi."

"Get a medic over here! Fast!" One of them called out. As the other went to pull her out, but yanked his hands away from her with a hiss.

"Ow! It's like she's on fire!"

"What?" Rhode looked at herself, sure she felt warm but it wasn't like she was smoking or something.

"Milady, the water is very warm. Too warm." The lead merman observed, as he gestured for the man with the burned hands to move back a little.

_Too warm? What is he talking about?_

"Your armor. I recognize its make from the statues. Is that a nymph's armor? A former symbol of power perhaps?"

 _Shit! The armor!_ Rhode panicked and touched the trident symbol on her breast. The armor receded, leaving the daughter of Poseidon wearing the tattered remains of her clothing. Most of it had melted away after her run in with the whale's stomach acid and what was left didn't even fully protect her modesty.

Realizing this, she shouted in surprise and with a full body blush curled up in a ball to cover herself.

Just as this happened, a nymph wearing a paramedic outfit swam over and glared at the two mermen, "Turn around you fools! Or do you want to explain to Lord Poseidon why you were ogling his daughter while she was undressed?" The mermen paled and couldn't turn around fast enough.

"And one of you, go fetch a tunic or something for her!" The nereid shouted at them and moved closer to Rhode, "Don't worry, milady. They didn't see...much."

It didn't take long for one of the mermen to return and hand a green tunic to the nymph, who offered it to Rhode. The demigod quickly slipped it on, but still hugged her body in embarrassment.

"There you go, milady." The nereid medic said with a smile.

She ushered Rhode away from the massive beast. Looking around, she noticed hundreds of mermen and nereids were harvesting from the leviathan like it was a motherlode of treasure.

"What is this?" Rhode asked stupefied by what was going on.

"Originally this entire battalion was sent to deal with the Leviathan." The nereid explained to her, amazement in her voice, "When we arrived, we found it unmoving save for the occasional roar of pain. Then it just died. We were confused until we found you! You can't imagine how thankful we are for what you've done. With this, we have secured food and materials for Atlantis for at least the next six months. And without a single loss!"

Rhode quickly put it together that the spoil wasn't even meant for her, but for these merfolk. Not that she minded or anything, since the girl doubted she would even be able to use it for anything.

"That's good. I'm glad I could help." She said earnestly since who knew how many of them could have died trying to take down this titanic sized monster. And all that rested inside of it as well, which brought a new worry, "Uh. What about the zombie antibody things?"

The nereid gave her a reassuring smile. "That's not a concern. The antibodies will die soon now that the Leviathan itself is dead. Their souls will soon be free."

_That's good. I'm sure I wasn't able to give all of them peace._

"Just be careful." Rhode warned, as she felt the weight of the sword on her back as she swam alongside the nymph. "I have to head back to Camp."

The nereid bowed to her, like she was someone worthy of reverence, "Would you like us to prepare a hippocampus for you?"

A flash of pain ran through Rhode's heart as she lowered her head. _Skittles, I'm sorry._

"Yes please."

The nereid nodded and whistled, summoned a large hippocampus. It was a strong looking stallion with a bridle and saddle.

Getting on it, Rhode felt like she was betraying the memory of her friend. With a crack of the reins, the seahorse began to swim forward.

As she left, many of the merfolk bowed or saluted her.

Rhode didn't feel she deserved it. Instead she buried her face in the scaly mane of her current mount and let soft sobs escape her.

* * *

The first thing that had happened to her when she arrived back in Camp was the buzzing of her phone. Thinking it was probably her Father, Rhode went to pick it up but was stunned by what appeared on her screen.

A new contact number.

It wasn't just any number though, it was one that Rhode never thought she would see.

Hera.

 _Should I be worried?_ Rhode had stared at it wearily a lot since she got it. No surprise, considering the Queen of the Heavens' track record with bastards of all kinds.

Hopefully, she would never need to call on the goddess of motherhood's help and test her luck with her aunt's tolerance.

"Hey, Rhode. Why so glum?" Lee from Cabin Seven asked, "Still worrying about Hera?"

"Yeah." Rhode sighed.

"Well, it's not like there's anything you can do about it right?"

Rhode nodded.

"Then forget about it and don't let it drag you down. I mean this whole triumph is being thrown for you." Lee said pointing at this year's Camp bead on his necklace.

Lee was right, the whole party she was currently attending was in celebration of her great success in her quest. She had successfully brought back the weapon that the gods had sent half of Camp out to find and gone through hell to do it. A weapon so dangerous that according to Chiron, it was destroyed by the gods as soon as they got their hands on it. In light of that, the Camp had acknowledged the feat with a formal triumph.

They had even, as Lee pointed out as well, unanimously decided to commemorate her success by having the summer's bead reflect it even though summer was yet to end. It was a green bead, Rhode's favorite color, with the image of the Palladium on it in honor of Rhode's armor and victory over Scamander.

Cheered up, Rhode flashed Lee a smile of gratitude with her newly fixed teeth. After returning to Camp and getting some rest, she'd headed over to Cabin Seven to get it looked at. The children of Apollo had taken one look and got to work. With the children of the god of healing on the job, her dental issues were solved within an hour.

Her teeth had never been so white to boot.

"Your smile is looking good." Jack said as he came over, Emily following behind him.

"Thanks." She said, her smile turning a bit shy as he sat next to her.

"You did get your teeth fixed. Good." Emily said with a relieved sigh.

"I said I would." Rhode said defensively.

"Yes, but you also said you hated dentists."

"So even Rhode Evans fears the chair and drill." Her boyfriend chuckled at her.

She bristled at that, but said no more in case the others joined him in the teasing.

Jack seemed to pick up on her irritation, so he changed tack and offered her a friendly smile and complimented her. "Hey, your new silver hair streaks are cute."

Walking over, Su couldn't resist shaking her head in exasperated amusement as she noticed her new dye job too. Emily's reaction was nowhere as positive as she gave a frustrated sigh.

"Rhode," the daughter of Aphrodite said in a serious voice. "How long do you think you can keep up with those hair streaks?"

The daughter of the seas crossed her arms defensively and replied, "As long as I feel like it."

Emily just rubbed her temples, and took a deep breath before replying. "Well, sooner rather than later that it'll stop being a cute little habit and become something that people will use to label you as a punk."

"I _am_ a punk."

"Are you? Really?" Emily pressed with a frown on her face. "Or are you forcing yourself to fit a mould someone else wanted you to?"

_Thalia._

The answer was on the tip of her tongue but Rhode couldn't bring herself to say it. This seemed to disappoint Emily and she turned to walk away, a cloak of sadness hanging over her shoulders. Su looked at Rhode for a moment, and the daughter of Poseidon gave her a nod that sent her best friend running after the older girl while Lee followed with a more sedate pace.

All this time Rhode had been trying to be a punk because that's what Thalia was and wanted her to be, but was that really what _she_ wanted?

It was one of the few things that was left of Thalia in her life, but maybe forcing herself to be something she didn't really want to be wasn't the right way to honour her friend's memory. Playing with the silver streak, Rhode begin thinking. _I'm almost fifteen. I think it's time I start being more me… for me._

She'd let this last dye job run its course and then, well, she was going to have to grow up sometime.

"Hey, you okay?" Jack asked worriedly.

Deciding to focus on this personal dilemma later, Rhode nodded and offered him a smile.

Looking around, she spotted all her friends of course and was glad to see that they'd all made it back to Camp safely.

"Looks like everyone made it back safe. That's good."

"Yeah." Jack agreed with a smirk. "Not that it was easy for most of us. Like how-"

He launched into a tale about his quest but Rhode just tuned him out and focused on crowd watching instead. To her pleasant surprise, mixed in with the crowd were some fresh faces. She hadn't been sure that the newest Campers were up to joining the festivities so soon after arriving.

Mr. D had a pair of twin demigods amazingly enough, who had showed up just yesterday but looked right at home in the midst of the festivities. The two boys were like a couple of blond versions of Mr. D.

Demeter Cabin had a new camper named Katie Gardner as well. She looked very nervous as she stuck close to some of her siblings. She'd expected that, the girl had only arrived three days ago and didn't have the luxury of parties being her godly parent's domain. Some skittishness was normal.

_Well, maybe I can go help with that a little._

"Hey Jack, let's go greet the newcomers." Rhode told the boy even as she walked off without waiting for him.

"Huh? Oh, sure." Jack replied, even as he followed Rhode with a frown.

* * *

Su's eyes were on Rhode as she went through the crowd to greet the new campers.

 _She's always so kind,_ Su thought wistfully and turned to stare into her goblet of fruit punch. The reminder of why she was crushing on her best friend, bringing to mind her own quest. Her fingers tightening around it as she recalled how 'well' that had gone.

She had ended up with a run-in with the infamous love god, Eros, and really wished she hadn't.

The god had tasked her to retrieve an arrow that had been taken from him. One that had been snatched mid-flight by a pair of kleptomaniac monkeys known as the Kerkopes.

It had taken some time for Su to track the rather rude brothers down. The duo managing to lead her on a merry chase around Texas. Eventually though Su had been able to corner them in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Specifically, the cheerleaders' locker room where they had been in the process of stealing some unmentionables.

After some painstaking and _aggressive_ negotiations, the daughter of Demeter had managed to retrieve the arrow. It seemed that for all the stereotypes about monkeys loving to swing on vines, the Kerkopes really didn't like meeting Helel and his vines.

After returning the arrow, the god of love 'rewarded' her with a piece of advice. Or cursed her with it. It was confusing.

"For the one you desire, I've shot two true arrows. One to you, and another to the son of snow. One shall meet an untimely end, the other will last."

And just like that, he vanished in a scented cloud that to Su smelled like the sea air.

Like Rhode.

 _What if I'm the one who'll meet an untimely end?_ Su thought dreadfully. She looked back to Rhode, who was laughing at a joke made by one of Mr. D's twins.

Su steeled her resolve and swallowed heavily.

_Even if it is me, it would be worth it just to be with her._

With that, Su stood up and headed to be near Rhode. To spend as much time as she could with the girl she loved.

* * *

Deep in the Underworld in the area around the pit of Tartarus, the pathetic figure of a mortally wounded Lamia was crawling - _Crawling!_ \- along the ground and panting heavily.

It had taken all of her skill to escape from her fight with Scamander and that accursed child of Poseidon. All while fooling her foes into thinking that she had been slain.

Her blood pooled under her as she reached the edge of the pit and she knew she was not long for this world, but she refused to die before she completed her mission.

Grasping the sword in her hand, she threw the weapon into the abysmal depths with a pained hiss. "To the end of the gods."

Just as she started to turn into gold dust which spilled into the pit, a quiet and eerie laugh echoed through the caverns of the Underworld.

" **For the Golden Age."**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
> 
> Now that was a chapter, didn't think we'd add something else after a god fight did you guys? And yes, alas, poor Skittles is gone. Shit happens and it was just another casualty in the life of a demigod. Now onto the Leviathan! Hell, that was a crazy turn. I felt like I was back in Kingdom Hearts and inside Monstro but with zombies. And just as confusing to navigate...ugh.
> 
> Nameless: Yeah, we were experimenting with a horror theme there. Which is why we used the Necromorphs (Slasher, Spitters and Tripods specifically) for the Leviathan's antibodies. Hope we did well with that experiment.
> 
> And the ending part shows that Rhode is starting to grow up. A part of her always wanted to be something like Thalia, or what Thalia wanted her to be, but it's come to the point where Rhode's friends want to see her. Not Thalia-lite. And Rhode is willing to do this, she just has to find herself first.
> 
> Nameless: As for why Emily got so frustrated with Rhode. Well, she's been trying to get Rhode to be herself for five years! And Rhode keeps resisting her seemingly at every turn, and now after the greatest triumph of her life instead of accepting herself and relishing in her deeds, what does she do? She goes and gets her hair dyed to fit in with the punk mold Thalia forced her into. Emily is tired and at the limits of her patience of fighting this war. Especially since this is yet another step, in Emily's mind, of Rhode walking down the self-destructive path she set out on when she decided to date Jack for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully, Rhode decided to finally grow up a little at the end of the chapter or Emily would have likely stopped being her friend.
> 
> Ah, lifestyles and choices to be made. The trials of teenagers.
> 
> Well, you know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps.


	17. Fun Times During Camp Times

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Seventeen: Fun Times During Camp Times**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Rhode sat on her bed with a brooding expression.

She had tried to talk to Emily after their little tiff during the daughter of Poseidon's victory celebration. Sadly, when she tried earlier Annabeth had told her not to, telling her that the little family was busy packing for their move so Emily could go to college and would be too busy.

_The International Culinary Center in California. Geez, of course Em would be going to a fancy school. I wonder what Gaige is going to do there? Or even Penny?_

Rhode felt she shouldn't disturb them. She could just talk to the child of love on a different date.

She was trying to figure out when would be a good time to do so while cuddling one of her plushies when a knock came from her cabin door.

 _Who's here at this hour?_ Rhode wondered. It was dark out and well after curfew. Getting out of bed, the girl answered her door.

"Greetings!" Penny said loudly.

Rhode blinked and greeted her in return, "Uh, hey Penny. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping Emily and Gaige pack?"

"The packing mission is near completion. Creator and Creator Two should be able to finish the rest on their own." The automaton said in a chipper voice. However that soon faded and was replaced by a frown upon her synthetic face, "Which is why I am here. To complete my other urgent mission, ensuring that you and Creator Two do not speak for now."

"Huh?"

"This is for the best Rhode," The daughter of Poseidon opened her mouth to refute her, but the robotic girl continued before she could say anything. "I assure you that it is. My calculations show that there is a high probability that your friendship with my Creators, especially Creator Two, would be damaged severely or even end if you choose to speak to her at this juncture."

"What?" Rhode asked, shocked by the reply.

Offering the demigod a sad smile, Penny added. "Despite repeating my calculations multiple times, I always ended up with the same result."

"But-" Rhode began before quickly cutting herself off. She wanted to ask why. To learn why just trying to mend the rift between her and Emily would lead to it growing bigger. But in the end, she held her tongue. She was too afraid of the answer.

Instead, she nodded and wished Penny a good night.

"Rest well, Rhode." The mechanical girl returned as she walked back to Gaige's lab.

Retreating back to her bed, Rhode pulled her seal plushie into a tight hug even as a frown marred her face.

_All my friends just seem to be drifting away._

Falling back onto her bed and curling up, she let a sigh escape her lips.

Atlanta hadn't spoken to her much after their talk about dating Jack last summer. The daughter of Apollo hadn't even sent many letters from college. She only occasionally replied to the letters Rhode had sent, and even then they were usually pretty brief and full of little more than pleasantries. And Fergus, to Rhode's sadness, seemed to be following her lead. Though he seemed to at least be trying a little harder to keep in touch.

_Gods I miss that big lug._

He had been one of her closest friends growing up and now she barely even knew what he was doing. Now Emily and Gaige were leaving Camp too and with the state of things between them, Rhode was worried that she'd lose touch with them too.

_I can't even imagine that… Gaige has been like a big sister to me, always making sure I had my gear in order. And Emily… the way she always_ _looked out for me and encouraged me to try to learn what I want to be and to become whatever that was… She was probably the closest thing to a mother I've had..._

Sure, mostly the drifting apart was because her friends didn't seem to approve of her choices as of late, but there had to be other reasons.

 _Or I guess it's just life getting in the way. We are growing up after all._ Rhode played with her colored bangs and chuckled ruefully, _Man, everywhere I look, all of them just seem to keep growing up. And I'm the only one that doesn't seem to be._

Pulling the bangs down, she glared at them.

_I must seem like such a kid to them, even after all the effort they put in to help me grow up. They must be so tired of all my shite._

Thinking back on her last interaction with Emily, the scion of the seas could totally see it. The tired exasperation that the older girl had exuded. The impression that she was feeling like she had wasted years of effort only to get nothing in return.

 _My victory is my own. Geez Em, you know how to make a girl think._ Rhode mused, as a sharp burst of guilt stung her heart. _I guess I've really let you down, huh?_

Getting up and opening the cupboard containing her hair products, the demigoddess shuffled through them till she found some black hair dye. Her fingers tightened around the box.

"Time to grow up."

* * *

Rhode had tried to catch Emily the next day, hoping that having dyed out the silver streaks in her hair and equipped with her changed mindset she could push the odds Penny talked about in her favour. Unfortunately, the family had left long before Rhode had even got up, having departed in the wee hours of the morning to catch a early flight.

The daughter of Poseidon was thus forced to rely on a letter to convey her feelings. Considering the speed mail moved and the need for the family to settle down before they could find the time to write back, she wouldn't be getting a reply anytime soon.

In the meantime, life at Camp went on as usual as evidenced when Chiron called a meeting. All the head counselors were present, new and old.

 _I'm the only one from the old crows left, huh?_ Rhode sighed as she looked at all the fresh faces. Charles, Silena and Clarisse had replaced their elder siblings. Lee Fletcher and Su had been counselors for over a year now. And Castor had joined them as counselor of Cabin Twelve. Annabeth had returned to her previous position as well and thankfully there hadn't been any complaints of tyranny from her cabin mates this time.

_Thank the gods for that._

Officially Luke was still the Cabin Eleven counselor but as per usual since his failed quest, he was neglecting his duties and it was only by some miracle - by Hermes no doubt - that he still held the post. Lee was thus, as usual, standing in for him. He seemed resigned to it, though he'd shared with her in private that he was completely fed up with Luke.

 _I can understand why. But…_ Despite everything, Rhode could still sympathise with what Luke had gone through and was willing to give him some slack.

"I am glad to see our new counselors adjusting to their positions. If any of you run into any trouble, be sure to ask the more senior counselors for assistance." Chiron smiled as the new cabin heads nodded to his words, "Now to begin the meeting. I have both excellent and somewhat dire news."

"That's never good." The son of Apollo said with a sigh.

"It is best to take the good with the bad." Chiron smiled at him, "You see, with Rhode's slaying of Lamia, it has become harder to track demigods. For both monsters and our Keepers."

The Campers burst into murmurs of conversation at that, as they debated the pros and cons of this development. Rhode for her part, basked in the pride of knowing that she'd done something that could potentially lead to the betterment of her fellow demigods' lives in a big way.

"Maybe now more demigods will find their way to Camp." Silena opined with a smile.

"I wonder if this means we can use cellphones and the internet safely now?" Annabeth mused with a dreamy look, one that quickly caught on with the others as they taught about the possibilities that access to the tools of the digital age would give them.

"It's possible." Charles furrowed his brow, "I could do some testing in the forest."

"That is wise." Chiron said stroking his chin thoughtfully. "While the effect has been greatly reduced, use of either resource still enhances your scents a good deal. As such, whether or not the benefits are worth the risks are something we need to explore carefully."

"I think we just need to be careful." Rhode said cautiously. The last thing she wanted was to encourage their use only for it to lead to someone getting killed.

"I would agree, which is why I am not discouraging their use altogether. However, we should still approach this with care." Chiron agreed with her.

"Yeah, Beckendorf, get on that! I want to torrent some anime." Lee Fletcher grinned.

Charles groaned, "Yeah, yeah. I got it."

"Now, let the rest of your cabin mates know. Council dismissed."

* * *

"So having fun?" Rhode asked Annabeth.

The young blonde had turned twelve and she was having a small birthday party in the Arts and Crafts area.

Her little sister just grinned and put on her new Yankees hat. When she did, she shimmered for a moment before turning completely invisible. It was a gift from her mother that had been delivered to her by an owl early in the morning and had become Annabeth's favorite thing in the whole world.

"Oh yeah." The invisible girl giggled.

Rhode rolled her eyes, "Keep that up and I might have to tie a bell to you."

The girl reappeared, her hat in her hands, pouting, "I'm not a cow."

"Of course not," Rhode nodded in agreement, "I'll just see if Chuck can get a GPS chip for you instead."

Annabeth just pouted further at her joke.

Ruffling her curly blonde hair, Rhode smiled at her, "I'm glad you're having fun."

Annabeth batted her hand away, frowning as she fixed her hair, "Come on, I'm not a little kid anymore."

"You'll always be a kid to me." The daughter of Poseidon disagreed and pulled the girl into a half hug. "Now go have fun."

Annabeth nodded, and ran off to join the party filled with all of Cabin Six and most of Camp besides. Everyone was having fun enjoying the food and the dozens of impromptu games that the various Campers had set up.

Looking on, Rhode smiled at her little sister having fun on her special day.

* * *

The days at camp flew by and soon it was the day of Rhode's own birthday. It was a small affair with small token gifts from her friends around Camp and a handful from her friends outside. The party was a rather tame affair too since a lot of her friends were gone from Camp.

The gifts were still cute though, not anything notable though. Even her dad and her godly family had only sent her a new centrepiece for her beaded necklace, this time a intricate piece of jewelry with pearls shaped into a trident embossed onto a silver teardrop the size of her finger.

It was a few days later that Rhode found herself just relaxing on the beach with her favorite blond duo, Annabeth and Luke.

 _It was pretty fun._ Rhode mused as she finished recalling the party though it was muted by a sense of foreboding at Lamia's words that she'd never survive past sixteen. She shook her head at the thought, _No, don't worry about it for now. Just enjoy yourself for once, girl._

She watched as Annabeth and Luke set up some towels to lie on and a cooler filled with a variety of drinks.

Luke stretched a bit after putting down the cooler and Rhode couldn't help but look. She blamed her hormones, but damn if Luke didn't look good in a swimsuit. Mm, muscles.

Her eyes drifted over to Annabeth whose own body was beginning to bloom. She would be beating boys off with a stick in a couple years or stabbing them with her dagger. Either way, Rhode would be right there with her. No way was she going to let just any guy date her little sister.

Her green eyes locked with Luke's icy blue eyes as he looked at her, which caused the brunette to snap a glance at her own physique. Her body had developed greatly since they'd first met, no doubt thanks to inheriting a bit of her dad's divinity. She was a far cry from the little, dirty street kid that she was back then. Heck, dressed in a dark green bikini that hugged her frame like she was now, Rhode looked like she walked out of a swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated.

This realization had her tanned cheeks flushing at his look, he was practically leering. Not that it stopped her from sending a playful smirk his way. One that he readily returned before gesturing her over.

As they all sat down, enjoying the sea, Annabeth kept glancing at her.

"Hey Rhode, are you okay?"

"Hm?" The daughter of Poseidon asked, breaking away from her small staring contest with Luke.

The blonde girl pointed to the older girl's right wrist. One that Rhode had been rubbing unconsciously.

"Oh…" A frown came to her face, her heart sinking a little at the missing weight.

"Do you miss your shield?" The daughter of Athena cautiously asked.

Rhode nodded slowly, "Yeah…"

Both her friends shot her worried looks. Seeing that, the scion of the seas shook her head. "Hey, don't worry about it! We're here to have fun!"

Putting words into action, Rhode got off the blanket and moved a little ways down the beach. Squatting down, she started to pile up some sand. "Let's make a castle. Or maybe a temple. That should be interesting."

"Yeah!" Annabeth smiled and joined her.

Luke chuckled as he just laid back and watched them play. It made Rhode's heart swell with how close knit her little family was.

"This is nice." Rhode said as she pulled some water from the ocean to use.

No monsters, no training, just her family and the sea.

What could be more perfect?

"I love you guys."

Annabeth and Luke shot her bewildered looks at her seemingly random statement, but nevertheless nodded in agreement and offered her smiles.

They sat there for a long while, making a Parthenon at Annabeth's request. Rhode was working on a column when her back went rigid as sand ran down her bikini bottom.

"Oh gods." She gasped and turned around to see a grinning son of Hermes.

"You cheeky elf boy! You are dead Luke Castellan!" The daughter of the sea grounded out past clenched teeth.

"Haha. Try and catch me then, Rhode." The scarred blond challenged as he got to his feet and ran down the shore.

"Oh!" Rhode fumed and summoned some water to wash out the sand in her bottoms. After that, she gave chase to the sneaky demigod, "I'm going to kick your ass! I'll bury you head first!"

"Hey!" Annabeth said, hot on her heels, "Wait for me!"

Yep, Rhode wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

It was time for the Hogwarts going Campers to get their school supplies for the upcoming year again. Accompanying the three Hogwarts students this year were Annabeth, Luke and Jack.

To avoid the crowds that she was expecting to mob her if they recognised her, Rhode had donned a hooded robe, a very plain one at that, in a bid to blend into the crowd.

The last thing she wanted was a big hullabaloo just about her going shopping.

The group of demigods had gathered in front of the hearth and was prepared to go through and Rhode noted a great deal of tension in the air.

Luke was standing off on his lonesome. With everyone, even Annabeth, giving him a wide berth as he brooded and exuded an aura of barely restrained anger. Rhode honestly did not know what had upset her friend last night but he had shown up looking like something had royally pissed him off. Frowning, the daughter of Poseidon decided to give him space like everyone else was, though she honestly wondered why he bothered to come if he was so flustered.

That tension however paled in comparison to that between Jack and Su. They were standing widely apart from each other, as far as possible while still being in the same group, but still glaring at one another occasionally.

 _Geez, what is up with those two?_ Rhode frowned, but decided to let it be for now. Whatever issue they had was for them to deal with.

It had nothing to do with her.

"Alright, before we head off to Diagon, remember that we need to be on our best behavior." Lee said, playing the chaperone of the group. "Things are pretty tense in Wizarding Britain so I want to avoid any kind of trouble."

Rhode frowned as Lee's little speech reminded her of the briefing that he'd have given Su and her on what was going on with the British wizards a couple days ago.

Apparently, there were undead running around the countryside after Voldelich's defeat, and both the muggles and the wizards were hunting them down. Unfortunately, the two sides had ended up coming to blows after running into each other in the field. Almost certainly, according to Lee at least, due to provocations by Death Eaters/wizard supremacists that were part of the Aurors. At first, the muggles tried to ignore it but their patience was running thin as seen by their increasingly hostile statements as bodies started to pile up. They could only chalk up so many dead soldiers to mishaps and miscommunication.

"Alright, let's get out of here." Lee said as he walked through the green flames.

Everyone else followed them through, Rhode being the last, and they arrived in the Leaky Cauldron.

The noise that filled the pub was loud and filled with merriment. Tankards clanged, people laughed, while others sung. The merry mood was infectious and their whole group perked up just by being exposed to it.

That was until someone shouted over the crowd.

"It's the Savior-of-Hogwarts!"

All eyes turned to the hooded Rhode, whose sea green eyes looked like she was a deer in headlights at suddenly being made the centre of attention.

"Huh?"

Suddenly there was a tidal wave of people that rushed to surround Rhode. There was no way, shape, or form that Rhode could get out of the way of being swarmed. Well, unless she wanted to pull out Spellbound or her marble grenades to deal with them like she had dealt with the Leviathan's antibodies during her previous quest.

Hands grabbed her own, her limbs were shaken violently as cheers and praise rained down on her. These random people were shouting things at her like:"Please Miss! Sign my robes!", "Sign my wand!", "Ah named me baby after ya!", "Please bless my child with your touch!", "Marry me!", "We could use ya in the Ministry! Gotta job that's all yers!"

Faced with this, the daughter of Poseidon was sorely tempted but she held back. These people were annoying but unlike the undead antibodies they weren't trying to kill her.

She was really, really tempted though.

Rhode grimaced in discomfort as her frame was practically squished from all sides. Words failed to form as she tried to shove her way through the throng of people, only to get nowhere. She yelped as she felt some of her hair being pulled.

_What is wrong with these people?!_

"Rhode!" She heard Annabeth squeak through the crowd as she dropped her hat on top of Rhode's head.

Smirking as the crowd began looking at each other in confusion, the scion of the seas exploited the moment to squeeze her way through the horde of people.

"Rhode, it won't work!" Lee shouted, and Rhode desperately wanted him to be wrong.

"Detection spells! Use detection spells." One of the wizards in the crowd shouted. "Whatever invisibility spell she's using, there's no way she can completely erase her presence."

Most of the crowd looked at him oddly, like he was some crazy, but enough of the crowd nodded and followed his advice that suddenly the whole pub was being swept by spells.

"There! By the backdoor! My spell just picked up a strange sound."

 _Shit!_ Rhode cursed in her mind, _Even godly items don't work?_

Crowded once more, Rhode felt her hackles rise as these people pushed into her personal space.

Thankfully for her self-control, just before Rhode lost her temper there was a flash from the fireplace and a loud voice shouted.

"Cease and disperse!"

It rang with authority and was vaguely familiar.

People whined and complained, but they were shoved out of the way as a group of Aurors walked to her location. At the head of them was Su's father, a scowl marring his face.

Rhode took off the Yankees hat and smiled at the man tiredly, "You are the best person. Ever."

He directed a disapproving look at her and asked, "Why did you fail to contact the Ministry to inform them you would be visiting the Alley today? Surely you knew the people would mob you. If we knew we would have come beforehand and performed crowd control."

The brunette girl offered a weak smile, "I didn't think it would be that bad."

Her friends walked through the human barrier of Aurors, after being given the go ahead by Su's father. They looked pretty roughed up. Jack was leaning against a wall and patting himself as if checking to make sure that everything was still there. Lee and Annabeth sincerely offered Su's dad their thanks, but he waved them off choosing instead to look at Rhode like she was a fool.

"That bad?" Mr. Li asked incredulously. "That was nothing! You are lucky we arrived as quickly as we did, otherwise you're liable to have been the cause of a stampede."

The demigoddess had the decency to look sheepish.

Su padded over to the pair and hesitantly said, "I didn't think it would be necessary either."

"And that's why you lot are still nothing more than a bunch of reckless children." The older man said with a resigned shake of his head.

In his sulky corner of the group, Luke bristled at this and looked ready to argue but was thankfully preempted by a haggard looking Annabeth.

"Being famous is stupid." The daughter of Athena concluded with a frown.

"Big time." Rhode agreed, returning the cap to the young blonde.

"Whatever you think about your fame, you will take the time to think about its consequences from now onwards and take steps to deal with it. Is that clear?" Mr. Li demanded, his tone brooking no argument.

"Yessir." The group grumbled. Excepting Luke, of course. The blond young man just shot the Auror a venomous look at being told what to do.

Lee nudged his sibling, making Luke glare at him in return but neither said a word.

"Good. Now let us get your school supplies." Mr. Li said as he and the group of Aurors escorted them into Diagon Alley.

* * *

Thankfully due to her escort, Rhode wasn't mobbed by the hundreds of wizards out shopping along the bustling street.

They were currently at Flourish and Blotts. Annabeth had wandered off to indulge her bibliophilia, probably trying to see if she could buy up the whole store. Su helpfully followed the young blonde to ensure that she stayed out of trouble. Lee had left to find his own books and some study material for his upcoming N.E.W.T. exams. Jack meanwhile had found a book on some ice sculpting magic and was utterly engrossed.

Which suited Rhode just fine. She wanted to have a word with Luke.

"Luke," The scion of the seas addressed her sullen older friend carefully. He was like a caged animal the past few days, always lashing out at those around him over the smallest things, hence Rhode's caution. "Can we talk?"

The blond gave a noncommittal grunt.

Taking that as her cue, she cautiously asked, "Are you okay? You've seemed off since the day at the beach. On edge. I'm worried about you."

"Had a few dreams is all. Reminded me of a few things."

A sense of alarm overcame Rhode, making her nibble her lower lip in worry. Was her grandfather messing with Luke's head too?

"What kind of dreams?"

"About my quest." The blonde informed her stiffly. "Just worse. Like my mind was taking the chance to weave in every damn worst case scenario it could come up with."

That sounded terrible and Rhode honestly didn't know what she could say to help make that better. Or even if she could. Despite that she was relieved that it wasn't the Crooked One trying to manipulate him.

Her helplessness must have shown on her face, because Luke shook his head and continued. "Don't look so glum. It wasn't all bad. Like I said, it reminded me of something. Something very important."

"And that is?"

"That the gods are mistreating me! They favored the successful questers, that's why they succeeded. That I failed has got nothing to do with me. It's all the gods' fault."

Rhode flinched at this, "Are you saying I completed all my quests _only_ because the gods wanted me to?"

It was a decent question since she had successfully completed several quests during their time at Camp.

"Yes." Luke replied without reservation.

Right then and there, Rhode wanted to deck the son of Hermes. The daughter of Poseidon had struggled, fought, and did everything she could just to survive each quest given to her. Fighting tooth and nail and here he was saying that all that amounted to nothing and she only succeeded because of the whims of the gods?

Balling her fists, Rhode's sea green eyes stared at him long and hard. He looked back at her in return, his gaze unwavering.

Turning on the ball of her heels, the demigoddess walked away. She didn't need to get into an argument.

She had books to buy.

 _Stupid Luke. You really know how to ruin a mood._ Rhode thought bitterly.

* * *

Rhode sighed as the brush in her hand ran over Flóga rustic coat.

She was currently in the stable. After the disastrous talk with Luke, Rhode needed to clear her head.

 _You haven't been here in awhile, Boss Lady. Nice to see ya._ Flóga told her, a hint of complaint could be heard in the pegasus' voice inside Rhode's mind as the other equines neighed in agreement.

"Sorry, just a lot of life issues happening right now." Rhode said as she brushed her pegasus with even more care.

Since she was a daughter of Poseidon, Rhode was viewed as the stable master for Camp Half-Blood in a way and was in charge of overseeing their management.

It was something she did a lot in her early years at Camp, but lately life had gotten in the way. At least that was what the nymph and satyr stablehands pointed out.

Ever since the loss of Skittles, Rhode had made a concerted effort to pay more attention to her neglected animal friends. She swore to take her title more seriously as well.

"Do you want some more water?" Rhode asked Flóga as the mare ate some hay.

 _Nah, but maybe a bagel later?_ The sheer hopefulness in her tone made the girl laugh.

"Sure. I'll sneak you one later."

_You rock, Boss Lady!_

Smiling, the daughter of Poseidon continued her brushing as Su sauntered in.

"How are you doing, Rhode?"

"Pretty good, Su." She smiled at her friend. The Chinese girl was dressed in overalls that stopped just at her thighs. She was dirty and sweaty, no doubt she had just come in from working hard in the strawberry fields.

"Let me give you a hand," Her friend offered as she conjured some plants. The vines began to move some feed bags around, organizing them better for later use.

"Thanks." Rhode smiled as she started to brush Flóga's mane. Her pegasus cocked her head and asked her something.

_Why do humans keep giving you weird looks?_

_What looks?_ Rhode asked in return.

_You know! That weird human look that your friend is giving you right now._

Baffled, the daughter of the seas turned to Su. Her soft lips were curved into a small smile. Her delicate fingers teasingly playing with the strap of her overalls. There was a coyness to the daughter of Demeter that caused the girl to pause her brushing.

 _I think she's in heat,_ Flóga 'whispered' in her mind.

Rhode's face flushed and cranked out a whisper, "No she's not."

_Uh. I think I know these things, Boss Lady._

"What are you two talking about?" Su asked curiously, pressing herself next to Rhode.

"Nothing!" "Neigh!"

Rhode's face heated up at how close Su was to her. Her petite body was eclipsed by Rhode's own taller frame, but as the other girl pressed herself against her Rhode couldn't help but think that they fit against together oh so well.

"Really? You two weren't talking about how I'm getting hot and bothered looking at you?" The huskiness in Su's voice was alien to the other girl. The way her chestnut brown eyes just held this come hither gaze, caused Rhode to sweat a little.

_...Whoa. I think she wants you. Like right here in the hay!_

"Su?" Rhode asks, shocked by what her friend was saying, "Wh-What's going on?"

"Why the surprise? You're hot, Rhode. It's natural that I'd ogle you if I get the chance. Does it make you uncomfortable?"

 _You want me to move into another stall?_ Flóga asked teasingly.

Rhode gave the cheeky pegasus a scathing look.

Flóga just cocked her head, _That a yes?_

Turning back to Su, Rhode just shook her head. "Uh. It's okay, but just looking alright? I'm dating Jack you know."

"No worries." Su leaned in and smiled seductively, "I can look all day."

Rhode swallowed deeply. _Gods! Su is seriously interested in me! Like "wanting to be my girlfriend" interested! Gods what am I supposed to do here?_

"I hope this doesn't change anything. We'll still be best friends, right?" The taller girl asked, trying to take some control of this situation.

Su was unyielding though.

"Oh, of course." The daughter of agriculture said with a sultry smirk, her hand patting her arm.

_Bow chicka bow wow._

"Shut up, Flóga!"

"She's teasing you?" Su said with a giggle that sounded like bells.

"I'm getting double teamed here." Rhode rubbed her face, trying to cover the blush that was spreading across her face.

"Well then, I'll let you get a breather for a bit and ogle you from over there." Su told her with a giggle as she walked off.

Rhode let out a deep breath as she watched Su walk away with a spring in her step. The daughter of Poseidon also couldn't stop staring at her friend's petite but undeniably beautiful figure as she swayed her slim hips seductively. Her throat dry and with a tingling between her legs, Rhode wrenched her eyes away only to meet Flóga's knowing look.

"Don't say it."

 _I wasn't going to. I don't need to._ Flóga said with a equine smirk. _By the way, your friend learned those tricks from Emily as a going away present. She told Swiftfoot about it when she stopped by yesterday after you left._

Rhode shot her pegasus a stupefied look.

"This whole thing was a set up?"

 _I plead the Fifth!_ Was the ever cheeky reply.

"...So lucky I love ponies." The brunette grumbled, giving Flóga a dry glare.

The pegasus mare just nestled her head against the demigoddess.

Rhode reluctantly pet her.

Anything to get her mind away from… her heated thoughts.

* * *

The rest of the summer had gone by fast. There was now only a few days left for the summer Campers. Most had already packed up and returned to their homes and would hopefully come back the next summer.

That didn't mean there wasn't still big things happening though. For one Grover Underwood, one of the most important days of his life was happening right then.

A meeting of the Council of Cloven Elders to decide if he'd be allowed to reclaim his status as a Keeper.

The curly haired satyr was standing before the Council. The three elderly satyrs all sat in high seats made out of twisted trees. Chiron and Mr. D, as honorary members, were also present. The latter standing to one side in his true form while the god lounged on a conjured throne made of grape vines on their other side.

Rhode and Annabeth sat on a log at the the edges of the clearing where the Council was held along with other satyrs and nymphs that were curious to see the proceedings. The two demigoddesses had wished for Luke to be with them, but the son of Hermes had refused to attend.

"Grover Underwood." The fat satyr, Leneus, spoke up, making Grover bleat in nervousness.

"Y-Yes, sir." The young satyr said, shuffling his hooves as he tried to keep his hands to his sides.

A fierce looking satyr, Silenus, glared down at Grover, "After five years we are here to review your previous _performance_ as a Keeper." He shuffled some papers and looked through them, "Because of your actions a high profile demigod was lost to us."

"Uh, yes s-sir." Grover nodded, a shamed look on his face.

"And this is why we shouldn't have sent such a greenhorn out to get them," The bulky satyr, Maron, sneered, "Because of his inexperience, Lord Zeus' daughter ended up as a tree and the safety of other Half-Bloods were put in jeopardy. Walking blindly into a cyclops' nest of all things! You even got yourself lost. Lost!"

"Not to mention his lack of skill with satyr magic." Silenus scoffed, "And his terrible Pan flute playing. By the Muses…"

Each word they said visibly shattered Grover's confidence a little bit more. The nubby horned teen looked like he was barely holding back tears by this point.

"While he failed half of his true objective. He still achieved something." Leneus begrudgingly confessed, though he scowled at the admission.

"Doing it half right doesn't count, Leneus." Maron frowned deeply.

"He still brought back a handful of talented half-bloods to Camp." Chiron intervened on the poor young satyr's behalf.

"Whoo. More brats." Mr. D said in boredom and spun his finger in the air.

"I don't see why he should be given another chance when he's more likely to get himself killed than secure another half-blood. Even if he received his license, I doubt he'd live past a day on the search." Silenus grumbled, his furred neck hackling.

"That's it!" Rhode shouted while standing up, cutting through the mutterings of the Council's deliberations even as the temperature dropped a little from her anger. "Stop wasting our time! Of course Grover deserves a second chance. He brought three Half-Bloods to camp. One of the Big-"

The whole Council looked at her unimpressed, almost insulted at her interruption. All except Chiron who shot her a warning look. And Mr. D who cut her off with a dark edge to his voice, "And what makes you think, Half-Blood, that you have the right to interrupt our discussions with your irrelevant opinions?"

Rhode tightened her fists at that and opened her mouth to respond, only for the god to preempt her. "No. You will not speak out of turn again."

By this point, Annabeth and Grover were looking between Rhode and Mr. D with terrified looks on their faces. Even the Council's Elders were cowed, looking at the god nervously as he began to take the daughter of the seas to task.

"Mr. D, she was just-" Chiron began, but the god of madness was having none of it and cut him off too.

"Letting her emotions get the better of her. As usual. Since we're talking about her precious little friend. The little hypocrite." The god sneered. "If she cared so much about giving Keepers second chances, about the affairs of the satyrs and nature spirits, why is this the only time she's ever attended this Council?"

Rhode's tongue turned to lead at that.

"If she only cares about her friend, then what right does she have to speak now? Why bother expressing her clearly biased and thus irrelevant opinion?"

Chiron shifted his hooves uneasily.

"None at all." The centaur conceded, and Rhode's stomach dropped as her mentor shot her a chiding look. "Rhode, you need to learn not to speak out of turn."

The god snorted. "That's all? A rebuke? Not even a slap on the wrist?"

"Surely, that's enough."

Mr. D shook his head and a malicious smirk spread across his face. "Spare the rod, spoil the child."

Turning to face Rhode, his eyes burned with purple fire as he delivered his sentence. "If the brat thinks it's smart to always let her emotions control her, then it is only fair for her to get a taste of where that can go."

"Mr. D-" The Trainer of Heroes called out, but the god was beyond listening and with a wave of his hand sent a bolt of swirling purple energy streaking at Rhode. It traveled so fast and they were so close that Rhode barely registered it was even there before it slammed into her chest.

Immediately, the daughter of Poseidon felt her mind go crazy as a rush of disjointed thoughts flooded it. Shooting to her feet, she felt an insatiable urge to run from Mr. D as the primal fear of the god that she usually so ruthlessly suppressed overtook her. So she ran, back towards Camp, back towards her friends and the safety that could offer her.

At the same time, she felt like she was on fire and she was consumed by the need to cool off. She had always thought being out of the cooling embrace of water a little uncomfortable, but now... it was like being in a furnace and her clothes were the coals. Without thinking and acting on pure instinct, she grabbed at the hem of her shirt.

She was just catching sight of Camp through the trees when her uncoordinated attempts to finally pull her shirt over her head succeeded. The sight of her home and her friends, Su in the strawberry fields and Jack hanging out beside Cabin Eleven in particular, sent another uncontrollable urge through her addled mind. She wanted them and she wanted… no _needed_ them to want her too. Driven by her base instincts and emotions, an insane idea started to form in her mind that would let her satisfy all the urges riding her at the same time.

Pulling at her shorts, Rhode altered her course so she ran straight at her targets with a shit eating grin on her face.

* * *

"UUURGH!" Rhode groaned as music blared in her cabin. The daughter of Poseidon was huddled up under her blanket and simply refused to leave.

Why you may ask?

All because Mr. D decided to have her go streaking throughout Camp yesterday!

The brunette was beyond embarrassed. The sheer humiliation made her wish a monster would just swallow her whole.

 _Where's merciful Thanatos when you need him?_ Rhode gloomily thought as Boulevard of Broken Dreams played on a loop.

"Hey Rhode!" Annabeth called out from outside the Cabin. "Grover and I stopped by with some leftovers from dinner. Let us in, please."

Rhode wanted to ignore her. She was still too embarrassed by what she'd done yesterday to want to see anyone, but her grumbling stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything the whole day.

 _I can't put it off forever._ Rhode admitted to herself with a sigh, as she poked her wand out from under her flimsy shelter and cast a Alohomora on the door.

"At least it's only Bethy and Grover." The witch consoled herself as she pushed herself out from under her covers. Revealing that she was seriously overdressed. She was sporting a sweater over her Camp t-shirt, long winter pants and a zipped up ski jacket.

It was hot like hell being dressed like that in summer, even with her resistance to temperature extremes, but considering she was still feeling the lingering effects of Mr. D's magic i.e. the occasional irrational urge to strip down and go streaking through Camp again. She was more than willing to bear with being uncomfortable for the handful of seconds more her outfit took her to take off. The precious few seconds gave her the time she needed to stamp out the madness.

Though it had been a close thing a few times.

Thankfully, the god of madness' curse seemed to be wearing off and she hadn't had an episode for a couple hours.

Though the same couldn't be said about the tantalizing thoughts about everyone she'd ever found remotely attractive that kept running through her mind as she slept. Apparently, Mr. D was a vindictive ass and didn't want her to get off easy by just sleeping his little curse off.

 _Stupid teenage hormones and my artistically graphic mind!_ Rhode swore as her face flushed at another thought dancing to the front of her brain. _And why do Su and Jack feature so damn prominently in these things!? Ugh! How in the world am I going to face them now?_

"How are you not boiling?" Grover asked her, placing a soda can on the coffee table. Annabeth did the same with a plate of steak and mashed potatoes.

"Oh no, she's gone turtle." Annabeth said with a frown as she gestured incredulously at the brunette's outfit and the way she was clutching her blankets around her like a cloak.

Rhode just shot the blonde a frown, not pleased in the slightest at how friend was totally not understanding how utterly necessary her getup was. Her temper frayed by having been stuck indoors the whole day, she was about to explain and probably give Bethy a piece of her mind when Grover jumped in with a change of topic.

"So, good news!" The satyr said while beaming at her, "The Cloven Elders gave me a second chance to be a Keeper! But on the condition that if I mess up again, well, I'm stuck at Camp. Forever."

"That went stellar. For the most part..." Rhode trailed off, as she pulled her cloak of blankets around her more tightly and shuddered as she recalled for the umpteenth time her mortifying escapades of the day before.

"Yeah, well, it can't be perfect. Right?" Annabeth offered.

"Yeah, but did Mr. D have to make me run naked through the Camp?" Rhode dryly comments.

"I don't think a lot of people saw anything. You were running as fast as a nymph after all." Grover cheerfully told her. "Heck, some of the dryads were talking about inducting you as an honorary dryad."

Rhode just fell back onto her bed with a groan as she remembered just how many Campers had frozen at the sight of her as she ran past. At least most Campers had left already this late in the summer, but that hardly made it less embarrassing!

"Wonderful. Now I'm going to be in a whole bunch of pre-teen dreams."

"You mean more of them." Annabeth said with a smirk as she came to stand over Rhode.

The daughter of Poseidon just gave another dismayed groan.

Annabeth looked ready to keep going with her teasing, but Grover jumped in with a another save.

"Hey there, Annabeth." The satyr said nervously, like what he was about to say was going to set off a bomb. "You're one to talk. You're pretty too, you know. I'm betting that there's a fair share of dreams about you too."

Rhode sat up straight at that, "Like Hades they do! As if they're good enough for her!"

Surprisingly, Annabeth took the revelation well. Sure, she blushed up a storm but still managed to keep a playful smirk on her face, "I know, but at least those idiots crushing on me don't have the fodder Rhode gave them."

Rhode grabbed one of her plushies and threw it at Annabeth's head.

Ducking under the horse plush, the curly blonde just laughed lightly. She headed for the door, pulling Grover with her as they fled the plushy apocalypse.

"Be sure to eat your dinner, Pin-Up Gal!"

"Get lost, Wet Dream Fodder!"

"Still not as bad as you!" Annabeth shouted back in between giggles as Rhode watched through her open door as the younger girl raced across the atrium to her Cabin.

 _Let's see what she thinks about all the blackmail pictures I have on her!_ Rhode fumed. She would get her revenge on her little sister at a later date. That was a promise.

The little fool wouldn't know what hit her!

She was distracted from her thoughts of revenge when her phone rang.

Picking up and seeing who it was, Rhode groaned, _I so don't need this._

Sadly, she knew if she didn't answer, her Father would continue to call her until she did.

Flipping it open, Rhode sighed as she laid on the bed, "Hey dad…"

" _Ah. Daughter of mine. I heard an amusing little tale."_

Rhode could only give yet another groan and bury herself under her blankets as her Father chuckled.

"Dad! It's not funny!"

" _It's actually pretty funny."_

"My virtue viewed by the other Campers is funny to you?! It was completely embarrassing!"

" _It was until Triton wanted to go to Camp and I quote 'dig their googly eyes out of their skulls'. Then it got hilarious!"_ Poseidon guffawed. _"Heck, seeing him so worked up was worth spending the last two days keeping him from starting a war. His reactions were a riot."_

"...I want to kick your shin."

" _I love you too, my little pearl."_

" _Give me that!"_ A feminine voice shouted as the sounds of a brief struggle carried over the line before the voice of her stepmother, Amphitrite, took over. _"Ignore your idiot Father, Rhode dear. He, like his brothers, has a terrible sense of humor."_

The sound of her father's shouted protest reached across the line.

" _Keep that up, dear, and you'll be spending another night on the reef."_

That seemed to cow the god who gave an apologetic "Yes dear." and went quiet.

" _Hello, Rhode."_ The goddess greeted pleasantly.

"Hi Amphitrite," Rhode greeted. "How ya doing?"

" _I'm well,"_ The daughter of Oceanus said sounding oddly disappointed. _"Though I'm more worried about you at the moment. How are_ you _feeling?"_

"Like I want to stay in the Challenger Deep and never come back up."

" _I can understand that."_ The Queen of the Oceans told her soothingly. _"But there's no need for that. I know it's embarrassing for now, but it will pass. Sure, you gave those moronic boys a view of a lifetime."_

Being reminded of that really wasn't helping.

" _But! It will fade away once some other Camper does something foolish. You can always orchestrate that yourself if need be."_

"I-I guess so." The brunette agreed.

" _Good. You have nothing to worry about. Plus, we should be grateful that Dionysus chose to show restraint... If he didn't and changed you into a Maenad, well, then things might have gotten crazy."_

Rhode snorted at the joke and she could practically hear the smile the goddess wore.

 _But damn, that would be a scary._ Rhode mused with a shudder. She had heard stories about the Maenads and they were insane! Running around naked was minor stuff to them. They did it all the time. Right alongside ripping whoever they came across apart limb from limb and drinking their blood like wine. And don't get her started on the debauchery they were said to engage in. Their lives were like one never ending orgy of violence and sex. Sometimes at the same time.

Imagine how her friends would have reacted to _that_.

It was bad enough as is, what with hearing from Lee when he dropped by earlier in the day that Jack and Su had both not been seen all day for some reason. Along with a few of the more hormonal Campers.

The daughter of Poseidon had a fair idea what they were doing, even if just thinking about it had her both blushing up a storm and shuddering in disgust.

"When you put it that way I guess I got off lucky."

" _All joking aside, you did."_ Her stepmother confessed.

"I still feel terrible though, but that's just me being caught up in all the teenage drama of it. Huh?"

Amphitrite chuckled over the line, _"That's just the overly dramatic part you inherited from your Father. Another trait he and his brothers share."_

That earned a laugh from Rhode, one which she shared with the goddess.

" _Well, it was wonderful to talk with you, dear. Sadly, I must go stop Triton from sneaking out of Atlantis to go rally an army to storm Camp Half-Blood. Again. He's not talking with your Father right now. All of you just wear your hearts on your sleeves. You I understand, but they've had centuries to temper themselves."_

Rhode shook her head, "We're bullheaded like that."

" _Indeed. Now take care and be sure to get something to eat. I heard from the naiads that you skipped all your meals today. Goodbye for now, Rhode."_

"I will. Bye. And thanks, seriously." The brunette replied as the line closed. Flipping her phone to do the same, she looked at her dinner. With a resigned sigh, Rhode waddled over to eat.

Now where could she get some comfort ice cream?

* * *

"Stop grinning." Rhode pouted as she and Jack sat across from the boy on a blanket near the lake.

The couple were having a small picnic date before the start of the school year. It was something that her boyfriend had cooked up to help Rhode feel better after her Girls Gone Wild moment.

Though he brought her out here to feel better, it didn't stop him from teasing her!

"I mean, the way you were sprinting!" The white haired boy sniggered.

"Ha-Ha." Rhode rolled her eyes at him as she stuffed a cookie in her mouth. It was a small comfort, but one she took nonetheless.

The mirth in those icy blue eyes just shone more brightly, "I think I even saw Li pass out in the strawberry fields. Mr. D's twins had to drag her to the infirmary."

"What? No way!"

"Believe it. Not that I could blame her."

He eyed her with a sly look, one that made her blush. She had a pretty good idea what he was talking about, and the mere thought set her cheeks on fire. Though the idea that by the way Su reacted, she'd probably thought the same brought an even brighter blush to her tanned cheeks.

After the girl's teasing in the stables, it was hard to look at the Chinese girl in the eyes.

Jack leaned forward, so that they were shoulder to shoulder now. His body gave off a refreshingly cold feeling in the dwindling heat of the summer and this slight chill helped her to cool her blush. Though that didn't last as his look morphed from sly to a more passionate expression, even as it also made Rhode's stomach twist into knots.

"I think I saw enough for… certain thoughts to cross through my mind." He whispered into her ear, his body pressed against her own. "Things that I'm going to appreciate while you're away. When my hands could use some exercise."

The daughter of Poseidon's face felt so overheated, she swore steam could have come out of her ears! The huskiness in his voice was new, but thrilling to the teenage girl. At hearing the lewd comment though she gasped.

Her hand swatted at his chest and she said, "You perv."

It wasn't an accusation, but more of a statement.

 _Not that it's a bad thing,_ Rhode thought as goose bumps ran up her arms.

"What?" His handsome face offered a teasing smirk, "It's perfectly natural."

Her blush continued to blaze wildly as she stared at him with a pout.

_Want to tease me, huh? Well, two can play at that game._

"Any such thoughts running through your frozen brain right now?" She shot back playfully, her voice just a little hoarse.

His smirk just grew, making Rhode swallow a bit as he leaned forward. Their lips met and while his eyes were closed, Rhode blinked in surprise even as she easily accepted it. His lips were cold and their wintermint taste flooded her tastebuds.

The liplock started as a simple kiss but as Jack pulled away Rhode felt herself dissatisfied. She wanted to try something new, to push their relationship ahead a little further. So she put a hand on Jack's shoulder and pulled him close, mindful to keep the grip light so he could pull away if he got uncomfortable. To her pleasure, he just followed her lead and leaned into her.

Still feeling bold, Rhode tentatively ran her tongue across Jack's lips and gently poked his own. Seeming to catch the drift, his own shot out and soon the two teenagers were engaging in a epic - for beginners - French kiss.

While Rhode had a few chaste kisses before, Frenching was new to her and she was loving it.

As their tongues continued to twirl around each other messily, they both fell back onto the blanket and his palm came to rest on one of her breasts. At the touch, a gasp escaped her lips and a shudder ran down her spine. He stilled at that and was about to pull away again, but Rhode just caught his tongue and made an encouraging sound that came out, much to her embarrassment, sounding like a moan.

Having received his cue, his hesitation vanished and he began awkwardly but pleasurably massaging the daughter of Poseidon's boob.

It was a new and exhilarating experience for Rhode and wanting to return the favor, she grabbed hold of Jack's ass and squeezed.

The firmness was amazing, no doubt thanks to the years of training that they had done. Still, the action caused her whole body to blush as she wasn't sure it was a thing guys liked.

He froze but not out of fear or displeasure, far from it if his own pleasured grunt was any indication. Pulling back to take a breath, he offered her a passionate smirk before diving in for another kiss.

 _I want this to go on forever!_ Rhode thought to herself deliriously as she let the pleasure take her.

* * *

A pleasant sigh escaped Rhode's lips as she sat on her couch, her T.V. was on but the girl hardly paid attention to it. Instead her mind, as it often was recently, was preoccupied with recalling her date - and total makeout session! - with Jack a couple days ago.

It had been the first time they'd touched each in that way, petting as Emily had told her it was called. Back when the daughter of Aphrodite had told her about it as part of Sex Ed, she'd balked at letting someone touch her in such a way, but now… She couldn't wait to do it again!

The way that Jack's fingers glided over her clothed body was just absolutely amazing!

That said, she wasn't ready for anything though. There were still some lines she wasn't willing to cross. One of those, she'd established with Jack when their petting had gotten a little too heavy. They'd gotten so carried away that neither had really noticed when his hands that had groped her bubbly -Jack's words- derriere strayed a little and slipped under the waistband of her pants.

They had both frozen like deers in a highlight when that happened. In fact, he looked outright horrified. He'd immediately started trying to apologize, but Rhode had stopped him.

It wasn't his fault, she knew it had been an accident in the heat of the moment.

She knew full well how intoxicating the thrill of what they'd been doing was and how tempting it was to go further… but Rhode wasn't ready to go that far in one day.

 _At least he opened up and we talked about it,_ The daughter of Poseidon thought with a relieved sigh. They had ended up having a serious conversation on the topic, Jack's fright ebbing away as they spoke.

The couple coming to an agreement that they would ask the other beforehand whenever they wanted to, ehem, try something _new_.

 _Still,_ Rhode smiled as her fingers curled a lock of her air, _I think we're in a good place right now. At least he isn't being awkward or as nervous anymore. I should pick him up something nice during the next Hogsmeade trip when I get the chance._

Ideas ran through her head as the brunette seriously considered what she could gift her boyfriend.

She was so preoccupied in her thoughts, that the daughter of Poseidon didn't even realize her name was being called.

" _Rhode! Hello!"_

Surprised, she turned to see the image of her Grover hovering a few feet next to her in a cloud of rainbow mist.

"Grover!" She hissed, a hand on her chest to calm her beating heart, "You startled me."

The satyr looked sheepish through the I.M., _"Sorry, but you were off in La-La land. Had to get your attention somehow."_

Rolling her sea green eyes, Rhode smiled at him, "So what's up? Any luck on your search?"

If response, the lanky satyr beamed as if he was a child of Apollo, _"You bet! I decided to stick around New York to see if there were any Half-Bloods in the area. I was just sniffing around this fancy prep school called Yancy when I got a scent. It was pretty strong too. So I joined up and during their orientation I met this kid called Percy Jackson."_

Here he looked a bit nervous, causing Rhode to cock her head, "What about him?"

He was staring at her, like really looking at her, _"Uh, no. Nothing. I mean, I'm pretty sure he's a Half-Blood. He gets into trouble like one."_

Rhode chuckled, that was a given for any demigod and smiled, "Congrats, Grover! Knew you could do it."

" _Well, yeah. But nothing's confirmed yet."_ The satyr replied nervously. _"Plus-"_

"Plus what?"

" _I'm worried, Rhode."_ Her friend confessed. _"What if I fail him like, like I did Thalia?"_

A silence overcame her as she stared right into his frightened eyes.

"Grover, you listen to me! You didn't _fail_ Thalia." The satyr looked like he was about to say something, likely a denial or a put down on himself, but Rhode was having none of it and kept going without letting him get a word in edgewise. "And you won't fail this Percy kid either. You hear me? You won't."

Grover just looked at her in stunned silence for a moment before chuckling lightly to himself.

" _Never change, Rhode. Never change."_ The nature spirit said with a rueful shake of his head.

Rhode frowned a little at that, as she remembered the promises she'd made to herself about growing up but nevertheless nodded.

" _Thanks, Rhode, for the vote of confidence. I'll try not to disappoint you."_

"You won't." The daughter of Poseidon told him confidently.

Grover just gave her a less than convinced smile and waved his hand through the image, cutting the I.M. connection.

"That worrywart of a goat." Rhode said to herself as the last vestiges of the rainbow faded away. "I'm sure he'll do great."

Sure of her friend's success, Rhode decided to get back to what she'd been doing earlier.

"Hmm… I wonder what Jack would like from Hogsmeade?"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done. Thanks to the team of Nameless as always.
> 
> So we added some drama. Arguing and other such things with Rhode's older friends. Of course those that leave aren't going to be seen as much from now onwards as the canon head counselors are now taking the reins.
> 
> Nameless: So Rhode's relationships with her old friends are fraying a little. Well, considering the change in circumstances for them (said friends going off to college and leaving Camp), this was kinda inevitable. So we just made it more dramatic.
> 
> The paparazzi are crazy huh? Worse part is wizard ones can find you. Somehow someway. And of course Luke, the darkness within him is growing.
> 
> Nameless: So Luke… Yeah, I think it's pretty obvious what's happening with him. If you don't know think back to canon and where in the timeline this story is currently at.
> 
> You all know me and my love of shipping. And now for the best part, the love triangle. Hehehe! Oh Su, you little Minx you. The darkhorse contender is not giving up without a fight.
> 
> Nameless: So Su has finally decided to push her claim hard. As we implied, a lot of this has to do with Emily. The departing daughter of Aphrodite really disapproves of Jack and is thus strongly backing his competition. She's also incredibly persuasive, being an expert on love and all. Not that Su would've been hard to convince.
> 
> Rhode should have a Girls Gone Wild video. I mean she can be a party girl if she really tried. Plus thanks to D we know she's got feels for her two love interests. Still, Rhode and Jack got pretty frisky huh? Hope some of our more adult readers are okay with that. I mean, they are teens, they are going to explore a bit if you know what I mean~!
> 
> Nameless: About the streaking bit. That was just Mr. D flexing his muscles a bit. Considering what's going on in Rhode's life at the moment, namely the love triangle that's blossomed around her and the sexual tension it's engendered, he considered it fitting.
> 
> And I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
> 
> You all know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love. No flames and peace off my peeps!


	18. Patience and Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Eighteen: Patience and Time**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

As Rhode stepped out of one of the many hearths that serviced Platform 9 ¾ she was greeted by a throng of adoring fans screaming at the top of their lungs for her attention. Thankfully they were held back by dozens of Aurors who had formed a human wall and cordoned off the fireplace that she'd emerged from, while dozens more of their colleagues were scattered in the crowd doing their best to keep the insanity under some semblance of control.

 _Mr. D would love it here._ The daughter of the seas thought to herself even as her eyebrows twitched in irritation.

"Gods, what are you? Shakira?" Lee asked her.

"Well, her hips don't lie." Su quipped, smiling smugly at the daughter of Poseidon.

The Heroine of the Wizarding World's face turned pink at the comparison. Su was starting to become something of a not so subtle tease nowadays.

This new bold Su was really keeping Rhode on her toes, that was for sure.

Stepping through the cordon of his subordinates, Su's dad came up to the newly arrived demigods.

"Morning children," The senior Auror greeted, offering his daughter a smile before turning to address the trio as a whole with a stern face. "I must thank you Rhode for bothering to inform me what time you'd be arriving _this_ time so the Ministry could prepare."

His tone clearly carried across how he was still unhappy with Rhode for the near disaster she'd caused during her visit to Diagon.

"Didn't want another incident like at the Leaky Caldron." Rhode said and held out her hand to thank him.

With a firm shake, Mr. Li tilted his head towards the scarlet train, "Come. Let us get you situated."

The wall of Aurors moved forward, shifting formation into a circle that kept the crowd of fans a safe distance away from the Campers. There were a few camera flashes around them and a few more persistent fans tried to wiggle through, only to get stunned in the process. But it was otherwise an uneventful if annoying walk to the train.

Halfway there, Ms. Jordan snuck into their little bubble of calm and started chatting with Lee about his time at Camp. At the same time, Mr. Li began a high speed whispered exchange with Su. Whatever the Lis were talking about appeared to be pretty serious if their stern facial expressions and the frequent challenging stares they exchanged were anything to go by, but Rhode understood none of it as the father and daughter had chosen to speak in Chinese.

She hoped it wasn't anything too serious.

Though that was a distant concern for her as her friends chatting with their parents caused Rhode to feel another pang of loneliness that nearly overwhelmed her as she realized that none of her family was there with her.

 _Not even Bethy or Luke could come._ Rhode sighed.

There had been an incident before she left that had led to the armory being completely destroyed. Apparently someone from Cabin Five left a landmine active and an unlucky soul from Cabin Eleven set it off while going to get some javelins.

Luke, as the Head Counselor for Cabin Eleven, had needed to stay behind to comfort his cabin mates in the wake of the death. That and stop them from declaring war on Cabin Five. As deserved as it was, it wouldn't do anyone good for the Campers to be fighting among themselves. Not when her sliced to bits grandpa was threatening to rise.

Annabeth, on the other hand, had been charged with designing a _safer_ armory. With explosives in blast proof lockers and any other safety feature she and Beckendorf could come up with. The little blonde had taken to the task with immense gusto and an impressive sense of responsibility that meant that as much as she had wanted to come with Rhode, she couldn't bring herself to leave while she was needed to oversee construction.

Seriously though, the Campers that had built the old armory back in the seventies were not big on safety and Rhode was glad that they were finally updating things. Now if they could just get that arcade proposal through.

As if the lack of her family from Camp wasn't bad enough, not even her godly family had dropped by. This despite the fact that she'd made it a point to mail her cloak to her dad as a not so subtle message that she'd like to see him.

 _Guess he's busy._ Rhode thought to herself with a disappointed frown. _Hermes did say that the gods try their best but can't always spend as much time with their kids as they'd like._

Even though Rhode was his only half-blood.

Boarding the train, the Aurors secured a compartment for the child of the seas and her friends and with some final goodbyes Ms. Jordan departed.

"Two guards will stand watch by the door. I advise you not to leave unless absolutely necessary. Rhode, if you do need to leave, for example to visit the washroom, one of them will accompany you." Mr. Li added before he made to leave as well, but not before giving his daughter another strange look.

Su surprisingly huffed at him, crossing her arms and looking away.

Shaking his head, he turned away and left.

"What was that about?" Rhode asked her best friend curiously.

"I-It was nothing. He was just telling me about what was happening around the house." Su fibbed with a weak smile.

"Uh-huh." Rhode mused, humoring the Chinese girl.

The two female Aurors helped them to put their luggage away before leaving the compartment to take up posts flanking either side of the door.

"So this is VIP status, huh? Sweet." Lee said as he leaned back in his seat, placing his hands behind his head.

"Only until Hogwarts." Su replied as she shrugged off the over robe she'd been wearing. "Once there, the school's wards are judged to be safe enough. Plus the Ministry trusts Headmaster Snape can keep the students in line and keep them from mobbing Rhode."

"Those same wards that Voldelich tore to shreds?" Rhode asked as she took a seat.

"They were repaired and enhanced." Su explained as she slid into the spot right next to Rhode and threw the robe she'd just slipped off over the both of them like a blanket. She cuddled into the taller girl's side, adjusting the garment and her position until she was satisfied.

Rhode fidgeted, her face going red. Awkwardness washed over her as her _best_ friend, who liked liked her cuddled up against her. She didn't have the heart to push her away since they had always done stuff like this when they were younger. Now? Hormones just ruined anything.

Lee just looked at them with a knowing look on his face and shot Su a thumbs up.

That just had Rhode blushing even harder.

"So, um, Snape got confirmed as Headmaster?" Rhode asked, trying her best to avoid thinking about how intimately Su was pressing into her side and how pleased she was at the feeling of her doing so.

"Yeah." Lee confirmed, the smirk on his face letting her know that he knew exactly what was going on in her head and was enjoying her suffering. The jerk. "The DMLE backed his claim and a lot of the survivors of the Battle did too. It was still a pretty hard fight, but he won in the end."

"Good for him," Rhode smiled a bit, "The guy deserves it."

"Yeah. I can't believe I would ever say this about Snape to be honest, but he does." Lee laughed a bit.

"Enough talking." Su whispered into Rhode's ear as she pressed even closer and rested her head on the ocean child's shoulder. "I'm sleepy."

Rhode stiffened and her blush reached new heights, but she made no move to shake the daughter of Demeter off. Instead, as the girl's breathing tickled her neck, she felt herself relaxing and luxuriating in the whole experience.

"Someone need a nap?" Lee cooed at Su as if she was a toddler.

"Yes!" Su said with a pretty pout, "I was up _all_ night."

Rhode felt a shiver run down her spine at that.

"Doing what?"

Su simply smirked at their male companion with a look that the taller brunette couldn't read.

"A lady tells no tales." Su replied even as she waved her right hand in front of her face lazily.

Lee blushed brilliantly at that, and while Rhode wasn't sure what Su meant… She couldn't help blushing harder too.

"Lee, I-I think we should just be quiet and let Su catch up on some sleep, okay?" Rhode all but begged the son of Hermes. She didn't know how much more of her best friend's flirting she could take.

Thankfully, Lee nodded his head in full agreement.

"Mm, yes." The daughter of agriculture murmured as her eyes fluttered closed. Her hand resting on her human pillow's thigh, much to Rhode's awkward satisfaction.

Su had just drifted off to sleep when the whistle of the Hogwarts Express sounded, which fortunately did not disturb the Chinese girl, and the train began to leave the station.

"Hey, Rhode?"

"Yeah?"

"You gonna manage to relax at all with the lil princess all over you like that?"

"Not one bit. This is gonna be a long train ride." Rhode grumbled, leaning her head back into the leather seat.

"Thought as much." Lee said with a grin as he pulled a shrunken study guide out from one of his pockets, restored it to its proper size and began revising for his NEWTS.

 _Dick_.

Of course he would get a kick out of this.

Her sea green eyes turned to look down at Su's sleeping face. The fair skinned girl looked as though she was in complete peace. It was a heartwarming sight and Rhode almost felt like it was worth all the awkwardness. Almost.

 _Am I going to feel like this whenever I'm with her from now on?_ Rhode wondered just how long she was going to be awkward with Su's feelings. She shifted a bit, but her best friend only cuddled deeper into her body. She had to put her arm around her slim figure just so her arm wouldn't fall asleep.

Once she did that however, Rhode found that actually… She was feeling pretty comfortable.

In fact, cuddling with Su was amazing.

 _I could get used to this._ Rhode thought as she too closed her eyes. A nap didn't sound so bad.

Resting her head on Su's crown, a jasmine scent whisked the daughter of Poseidon into Morpheus' realm.

* * *

As Rhode waited outside the greenhouses for the start of her Herbology lesson, she reflected on the semester so far. It had started as a somber affair. The castle felt larger seeing as some students didn't come back after the battle last year. Their parents withdrawing them in favor of private tutors or were simply too afraid to allow them to return.

Not that Rhode could blame them. If she had kids, they'd never go to Hogwarts.

Their safety policies were worse than Camp's.

And there she was _actively_ harmed as part of the training regime.

And then there were those who simply didn't live to get the chance to come back.

Sighing, Rhode looked at the ruins of the old Great Hall which had been transformed into the Memorial Hall to commemorate all those who died in the Battle of Hogwarts. Every time she did, a surge of survivor's guilt ran through her but she buried that feeling under a determination to never let such a tragedy happen ever again if she could help it.

Pulling her eyes off the memorial, she spotted the awkward new addition to the castle. In what had been a courtyard where First Years received their first broomstick lessons, the wizards had constructed a whole new Great Hall. One that they unimaginatively called the New Great Hall. Unlike the rest of the castle with its medieval architecture, it looked surprisingly modern being little more than a boxy building with no adornments beyond a coat of grey paint. It clashed horribly with the rest of the castle, but from what Snape had said during his speech during the Feast at the start of the year that was the whole point. The New Hall was designed to show a new start for Hogwarts where it would try to embrace the modern world as much as possible rather than hide from it. It was Snape's muggleborn roots showing, in Rhode's opinion, but it was something she wholeheartedly agreed was necessary. Or else, by Olympus, the wizards would be left in the dustbin of history within decades.

Pulling herself away from these thoughts, Rhode turned to Su.

"When do you think class will start?"

The taller half-blood was looking at her phone, her thumbs playing some Dig-Dug while Su read a book. All of the fifth years were taking classes together for the most part this year. This was in large part due to the reduced number of students making it impractical to split them up into two house blocks. That and it was part of Snape's new initiative to encourage increased inter-house interaction.

"I'm sure Professor Sprout will be here shortly." The engrossed petite girl told her.

"That's what you said ten minutes ago."

Su shrugged just as a chime that was reminiscent of those that preceded an announcement on a PA system echoed across the grounds.

Everyone looked startled at this and looked at each other in confusion even as Snape's voice filled the air of the entire castle and its grounds.

" **All students report back to your dorms immediately. Prefects take attendance. All faculty report to the Headmaster's office at once. I repeat. All students report back to your dorms. Prefects account for everyone in your houses. All faculty report to the Headmaster's office. Move quickly!"**

All of the students began to whisper among themselves as they tried to figure out what was going on. The Prefects though did their duty and rounded everyone up and escorted them back into the castle proper, while some split off to head to the Quidditch pitch to gather the First Years currently there having their flying lessons.

As they walked to the dorms, Rhode frowned, "So what do you think happened? Another lich army? Or some kind of tragedy?"

"Whatever it is, I pray it has nothing to do with the muggles." Su said nervously.

Rhode grimly agreed.

The tension between the muggles and the magicals had risen to an all time high since the end of the last school year. While details were scarce, it was no secret that there had been a few skirmishes between the two while they worked independently of each other to hunt down the remnants of Voldelich's undead army.

And with each skirmish, the tensions just continued to grow.

Everyone, besides the arrogant Ministry, feared a possible war with the muggles.

_Not that I blame them if the muggles did start one. A lot of good soldiers of theirs are getting killed. The muggles can't keep pretending that's not happening._

Despite that, Rhode really hoped that wasn't what was happening. After all the deaths in the Battle last year, she didn't want to see what kind of carnage a full scale war would bring.

* * *

It was a about an hour later and everyone in the Gryffindor Dorm was milling about in the Common Room. The younger students seemed bored or nervous while the older students were gripped with anxiety as they huddled in groups and muttered worriedly.

Rhode didn't share their worry. Well, not much of it anyways.

Sure she was worried about what all this might be about, especially if it had anything to do with the muggles. However, she had never been the kind of person to let her worries wear her down. Instead she was the kind to take action as soon as possible whenever presented with a problem. So instead of feeling troubled, she was feeling antsy.

This desire to do something, anything, was starting to get the better of her and she twitched in irritation with Lee looking on with a frown.

"You don't need to look at me like I'm about to snap, you know that right?" Rhode told the young man with annoyance.

"Not taking any chances." Lee shot back. "I still remember that one time you made it snow in the Common Room and I, for one, don't want a repeat of that."

The cryokinetic blushed at the reminder even as she defended herself, "I'm irritated, not angry."

"To-mah-to. To-mae-to." The son of Hermes said with a shrug. "They're practically the same thing and I'm not risking it."

The daughter of Poseidon had to admit, what her friend said made sense. She wasn't going to tell him that though. Instead, she chose to cross her arms and look away. Conveniently hiding her pout in the process.

Out of the corner of her eye Rhode saw Lee open his mouth to say something when the Fat Lady swung open and caught everyone's attention. From the opening, Aurora Sinistra, their new head of house, walked in. Her face was solemn and tired as she cleared her throat to gander everyone's attention. Not that she needed to. The moment she'd appeared, she'd had the undivided attention of every Gryffindor there as they looked at her with bated breath.

With an uneasy inhale, the older witch began speaking. "It is with great regret that I inform you all that the tension between the wizarding world and the muggles has come to a head. Last night, a rogue group of Aurors -possibly Death Eater sympathizers- ambushed one of the muggle parties hunting the undead in the countryside near Saltash down in Cornwall. While there were deaths on both sides, the rogue group was wiped out after muggle reinforcements arrived. In response to this premeditated attack by Ministry staff… war has been declared by the muggle government."

The silence in the room was staggering, for a moment it seemed like no one was even breathing. The moment was broken however when a third year suddenly got hysterical and began shouting at Sinistra to ask what this meant for them. This seemed to set off the rest of the crowd as all sorts of panic erupted as fear overwhelmed the students.

Sighing, Rhode looked at the chaos and couldn't help but feel bored. She honestly didn't care about some stupid war that frankly was a long time coming. The wizarding world was arrogant and archaic. It would either learn it was a big fish in a tiny pond or be wiped out. Either way it didn't really matter to her.

Sure, her magical education might be disrupted by this war but by this point she was only coming to Hogwarts out of inertia. She was fairly sure she'd learned all she needed to learn about magic and if she did need to learn more then she'd already mastered enough of the basics to pick up the new stuff on her own.

"Calm! Calm down please!" Sinistra shouted as she raised her wand and released several loud bangs from it.

It gained the attention she wanted as all the students looked at her with fearful eyes. Even as sniffles and crying echoed throughout the Common Room.

"I'm afraid children that that's not all." Sinistra continued, looking pale and worried. "After the formal declaration of hostilities was received by the Ministry, the muggles launched a massive operation that saw them attacking _every_ magical centre in Britain, except Hogwarts. Diagon Alley, the Ministry, every manor belonging to the various wizarding nobility, and practically every site of importance to Wizarding Britain. This was less than twelve hours ago. In that time-"

Sinistra stopped then and shook her head in disbelief. Taking another fortifying breath, she continued once more.

"In that short time, all of those locations have been occupied."

The room gave a collective gasp. How was that even possible? There must have been dozens of places that fit Sinistra's description and to the wizards it seemed impossible that none of them had managed to hold off the invaders for more than a few hours.

 _That's what's called military precision._ _They have probably been planning for this for a long time._ Rhode mused. They would have had to if they had done this in less than a day.

"The casualties on our side are enormous...while the opposing losses were modest from what we have found out thus far." The beautiful witch informed them, "They caught us totally by surprise and we were barely able to put up a fight."

"Then why did we lose so many people?" A seventh year shouted angrily.

"Because the muggles seem to see any spell use directed at them, no matter how mundane, as an attack. And they are meeting _all_ attacks with lethal force."

 _I'd do the same._ Rhode nodded, agreeing with the attitude the muggles were taking. _If you can't tell the tickling charm from the eviscerating curse then it's better to shoot first._

"Furthermore, from those who have escaped we have heard that all wands in occupied territories have been confiscated. Those who refused to comply have been arrested by the muggles for 'illegal' possession of a deadly weapon," Sinestra looked to Rhode for moment, no doubt remembering how she'd described a wand in the same way back in her second year.

"So we've lost? The Ministry has fallen?" A sixth year girl asked despair tinging her voice.

_You make it sound like you had a chance. We're less than one percent of the world against the rest of it._

"Not yet." Sinistra replied, sounding uncertain. "Most of the Ministry's leadership and a good number of common wizards and witches have managed to reach Hogwarts. Headmaster Snape's announcement came just as the first muggle troops began setting up their bases around the castle."

A student -a possible first year- asked, "Why aren't they just attacking?"

"If the muggles demands for our surrender is to be believed, it's because of you."

The room broke into confused mutterings.

Speaking over the crowd, the Astronomy Professor continued. "They are not willing to attack us because they fear either the Ministry will use you children as 'human shields' or that you will harmed as collateral damage during the fighting."

 _Which means we're going to be here for a while._ Rhode inwardly sighed. She had never been part of a siege before. Sure, there were talks about it at camp. Even great discussions of the Trojan War as being one of the greatest sieges in history. But she'd never actually lived through a siege, even in training.

 _Bethy would probably love this. Trying to think up ways to outmaneuver this or that._ The daughter of Poseidon thought with a tiny smile. She shook it off quickly though, remembering how serious a problem this was for her and the rest of the half-bloods here.

 _I wonder if I can reach out and see if we can be granted some_ _privilege to get out of here. Or maybe Ares is just stroking these flames a bit too hot._ The demigoddess dryly mused.

"And what about all the children who got killed in their earlier attacks?" A fourth year boy shouted while punching the wall next to the fireplace. "They're nothing but a bunch of hypocrites!"

 _And you know nothing about war._ Rhode thought to herself with a frown. _Any kids which died in those were but regrettable collateral damage. But storming a school full of children? They can't write something like that off their conscience so easily._

Rhode was honestly uncomfortable with the idea that she _did_ understand the muggle military's reasoning. Unfortunately she'd spent too much time around Ares and Athena cabins to have not picked up a thing or two about the cold calculus of war.

Sinistra was quiet at that, looking very uncomfortable. It took her a few minutes but she eventually regained her resolve and pressed on, "You will all be remaining in Hogwarts until this affair is sorted out. There will be no sending owls to your families as there is too much risk that they will be intercepted and provide the enemy with intelligence. The floo network has been shutdown. And finally, all classes are cancelled until further notice."

Murmurs and hysterics erupted in the room. Chaos was the only way Rhode could describe the scene as these kids realized that they were about to learn how harsh life could really get.

 _Just another day for a demigod, I guess,_ Rhode mournfully thought as she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

Things were going to get a lot worse, she could feel it.

* * *

A week into the siege and everything had changed in Hogwarts. Classes resumed, sure, but nothing else was the same. While Headmaster Snape had suspended lessons the day the siege began, the acting Minister Pius Thicknesse had demanded classes resume.

The slimy git who had replaced the captured Cornelius Fudge had said that this would ensure that a sense of normality remained even in these trying times. But either the guy was blind or a fool, because he had to be to think that there was anything normal about the situation. The castle, once barely occupied even with all its students, was now full to bursting. With literally thousands of wizards cramped into a building that was never designed to house that many occupants.

This was made abundantly clear as Rhode sat down to lunch in the New Great Hall. Or more accurately shoved her way into a seat at the packed Gryffindor table.

Hell, there wasn't even a Daily Prophet anymore. Not since the muggles shut it down when they conquered Wizarding Britain with the sole exception of defiant little Hogwarts.

Though trapped Hogwarts was a better descriptor in Rhode's opinion.

Since the morning after the siege began, the steady stream of refugees that had fled to the dubious protection of the school had been abruptly cut off as the muggles finished setting up. The British Army had used their own magic users to seal Hogwarts off from magical travel and erected a powerful magical barrier that stopped anything from coming and going.

If what Lee had overheard was correct, the whole thing was being powered by a pair of blocky humanoid machines that bristled with weapons that were clearly visible from the castle as they walked continuous rotating patrols along the muggles' lines. One of which was painted in the livery of the US Army. Supposedly, those machines were actually the robotic tombs of powerful magic users. Like Archmages or something, people who apparently put Dumbles to shame.

_Probably the only reason they'd do that to themselves was to run away from Thanatos. Jeez, they're just like Voldelich, but with tech instead of necromancy. Why do all these powerful magical types want to live forever anyway? It's just going to screw them over when they get judged._

And it didn't matter if they tried to go to the Asphodel Fields, her uncle would judge them harshly out spite for trying to escape his domain.

From her talks with her dad, Hades was one of the strictest gods around. Even to this day where some others had grown more lax.

Thankfully, two way mirrors and other communication devices still worked otherwise they would have been truly cut off from the world. Using these things, a trickle of news from outside got in. It was disturbing stuff though, for the wizards' anyways. According to word from the outside, the occupiers had destroyed many other aspects of Wizarding Britain's culture as part of their takeover. Like temporarily shutting down the Quidditch League, limiting Gringotts' influence over the financial system, forcing the registration of all wands and the extension of the Trace to all wands instead of just those of minors, etc.

All things that the wizards found super important but Rhode didn't give two hoots about.

The only news that she paid any attention to was Sirius' fate. As distant as Rhode was with her godfather, she still felt the need to at least find out his whereabouts. Apparently, he'd been arrested for resisting the muggles and was currently in their custody. Beyond that, there hadn't been any news and the daughter of Poseidon was left with no choice but to just pray for his continued well being.

That and curse the wizards' stupidity and pride. Seriously, how had something like this never happened before? From how they normally behaved, how hadn't they made the world their enemy before now astounded her.

Though if the whispered snippets Lee had heard lately were any indication, this wasn't the first time the wizards had picked a fight with the muggles and found themselves outclassed. It was just shaping up to be the _last_ time. By the looks of things, the muggles weren't about to back off without claiming total victory this time.

As Rhode eyed the servings that magically appeared on the plate in front of her she couldn't help but frown.

 _It's only been a week and rations have already been cut in half. At this rate, it won't be hard for them to win at all._ _They just need to starve us. With the amount these spoiled kids eat, we'll be down to eating the house elves by month's end._ Rhode sighed sadly.

Though to be fair, the castle's limited food supply was being stretched feeding a lot more people these days. Not that it was the only thing being stretched thin. Rhode's minor claustrophobia was flaring up too. Just yesterday, the overcrowding had gotten so bad that she had to hole herself in the Room of Requirement just to avoid the swarm of people.

A plan that the daughter of the seas planned to repeat today.

Hurriedly finishing her meal, Rhode pushed away from the table and pushing pass a seemingly endless throng of wizards raced back to the Room.

Only to find it locked.

"You've got to be kidding me. Who else found this room?" Rhode muttered, her voice tinged with frustration. If it was locked, that meant that someone was in there and didn't want visitors.

It couldn't be Su or Lee, so that left one of the refugees that knew about the demigods of Hogwarts' little hideout.

Which meant they wouldn't be able to use it as freely as they'd become accustomed over the years to doing.

With an infuriated kick to the door, Rhode stormed down the hallway.

Only to run into the people she was attempting to avoid the most!

 _Seriously, which god did I piss off for this to happen to me?_ Rhode as a group of people in robes approached her.

"Lady Rhode!" One called out, as the rest greeted her with reverence.

"Yes?" The brunette asked, thinly veiled frustration in her voice.

"Please, please my Lady! You must do something!" One of the people pleaded to her frantically. They all looked at her as if she could solve every problem in the world.

 _Seriously, do I look like a goddess to these people? Ha! If they only knew that the gods were still around. I wonder how they'd deal with these people?_ The thought honestly amused her. Though it was quickly dashed as their behavior made her even angrier.

"Listen, you all are just going to have to live and manage on your own. I'm just a teenage girl." With her clipped reply, she pushed passed the hysterically pleading group of nutjobs.

She made her way back to the Great Hall, maybe she could get a second serving. She really felt like she needed some comfort food right now. Or whatever was still left from all the scavengers.

Sitting in an open space, she grabbed a plate and put a light serving and a glass of water. She moved to take a sip from the glass but paused, her mouth twisting into a frown.

Sensing a foreign substance in the water, she slammed the cup onto the table, "Not another damn love potion! That's the third one this week!"

This latest development had her anger come to a head. In reaction, the plates and utensils around her iced over and shattered into a million tiny pieces. People gasped and murmured at her rage, but Rhode cared little for the opinion of _sheep_.

Getting to her feet, the demigoddess stalked off. A thin misty chill following after her.

"Stupid, love sick, roofie using asshats." Rhode spat in anger, her almond shaped eyes narrowed into slits as she marched down a random corridor. Anything to get away from all those morons!

"Wow, she's hot!" A boy in a Ravenclaw uniform she walked past whispered to a young woman that looked like she might be his elder sister.

"Don't you mean cool?" The woman shot back while leering at Rhode.

Rhode gritted her teeth as she did her best to smother her anger. _Who are these idiots to think that they have a chance with me! Even though I've openly stated that I'm already dating someone! They just seem to ignore it._

 _If this keeps up, I'm gonna end up strangling someone._ Rhode thought to herself as her fists clenched and the corridor frosted over.

* * *

**Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios.**

**The incident with Wizarding Britain and the government has finally come to a head. Honestly, it was bound to happen. How Rowling felt that the government never interfered with the magical world is beyond me. We've had this talk before but it still is just jarring how she hands stupid balls around.**

**Nameless: Yeah. Well, I recently saw a video where Rowling's writing was summed up quite well. Harry Potter and its Wizarding world is enchanting, even mesmerizing. However, everything else… be it her other works or even how the WW can possibly fit into the rest of the world that by accounts is virtually the same as ours? She's terrible at it. So yeah, it's a dead horse but one we'll continue to beat so long as we write in the HPverse.**

**Rhode of course is not pleased by this, having to deal with idiots left and right. And yes, with her popularity, some of the 'smart' teenagers have tried to love potion her. It's a completely acceptable practice from how we've heard how casually love potions have been used in this world. Seriously! It can be pretty dark if you think about it and no doubt it's been abused.**

**Nameless: Considering anesthetics have been abused as roofies basically since they were invented and various narcotics/aphrodisiacs before them… So long as things like love potions exist, there'll be the predators who want to use them.**

**And it seems the people once more look to Rhode to save them! This time, she just says no.**

**Nameless: You go girl! Show them you're nobody's puppet!**

**So, the siege continues in the next chapter so stay tuned. Now smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios.
> 
> The incident with Wizarding Britain and the government has finally come to a head. Honestly, it was bound to happen. How Rowling felt that the government never interfered with the magical world is beyond me. We've had this talk before but it still is just jarring how she hands stupid balls around.
> 
> Nameless: Yeah. Well, I recently saw a video where Rowling's writing was summed up quite well. Harry Potter and its Wizarding world is enchanting, even mesmerizing. However, everything else… be it her other works or even how the WW can possibly fit into the rest of the world that by accounts is virtually the same as ours? She's terrible at it. So yeah, it's a dead horse but one we'll continue to beat so long as we write in the HPverse.
> 
> Rhode of course is not pleased by this, having to deal with idiots left and right. And yes, with her popularity, some of the 'smart' teenagers have tried to love potion her. It's a completely acceptable practice from how we've heard how casually love potions have been used in this world. Seriously! It can be pretty dark if you think about it and no doubt it's been abused.
> 
> Nameless: Considering anesthetics have been abused as roofies basically since they were invented and various narcotics/aphrodisiacs before them… So long as things like love potions exist, there'll be the predators who want to use them.
> 
> And it seems the people once more look to Rhode to save them! This time, she just says no.
> 
> Nameless: You go girl! Show them you're nobody's puppet!


	19. My Romantic Rollercoaster

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Nineteen: My Romantic Rollercoaster**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Having just finished a training session in one of the handful of unoccupied classrooms that still remained in Hogwarts, Rhode was actually feeling pretty good. Sure it had taken quite a bit of searching and the room had been converted into a storeroom for emergency supplies, but at least there was no one there and so she could actually _do_ some training.

A feat that was increasingly difficult in the packed castle, as the Room of Requirement was now liable to be in use by someone or the other and the previously empty classrooms had all been converted to accommodate the many refugees that now filled up the castle. It was not like she could just train in front of the wizards without getting some awkward questions about her powers.

Rhode had tried to be diligent in her training, even as the lack of available space made it increasingly difficult. Considering that it was truly the only thing keeping her sane in this place, the problem had left her feeling increasingly irritable. Which was why her lucky break today was so satisfying! It had let her finally work off some of her frustration that had been threatening to drive her mad!

Dressed in a modest workout ensemble of a tank top and sweatpants, Rhode sighed as she rotated her shoulder as part of her cooldown. Taking a final calming breath, the daughter of Poseidon felt she had done enough for today and decided to head back to her dorm to freshen up. Best not to let her 'admirers' catch her dressed like this for long.

Arriving at the portrait of the Fat Lady, Rhode was surprised to see it covering its ears seemingly in a bid to block some kind of terrible noise. Lifting a eyebrow in amusement, she dryly gave the password. "Ursa Major."

Without lifting her hands from her ears, the distracted portrait somehow heard her and swung open. This unfortunately exposed her to the shouts coming from the Common Room, which left her wincing just as the portrait had.

"I don't care! I'm your mother and you will listen to me!"

Walking in, the demigoddess saw what the drama that was the source of the racket was about. Molly Weasley was arguing with her daughter Ginny and Granger. It wasn't anything new, the matriarch of the Weasley family made daily spectacles over something or the other. It had gotten to the point that Rhode was half tempted to smother the Smother.

 _Heh! A smothering mother. Nice one me._ Rhode praised herself while giving herself a mental pat on the back.

"I don't have to listen to you!" Ginny snapped at her mother like a howling cat. Guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

The rotund woman balked at that, looking angrily at Granger who in turn shot back a venomous look of her own.

Walking over to Lavender Brown, the house gossip, Rhode asked, "What's going on?"

The peppy girl didn't even turn away from the argument as she whispered a reply, "Missus Weasley found out about the true nature of the two's relationship and wants them to break up. Apparently, she's not too keen to have her daughter be Hermione's little pet."

It was the running joke of the dorm that Granger was some twisted dominatrix and had molded Ginny to be her submissive.

Frankly Rhode didn't put much weight in it. If the two wanted to be together, then let them be. Who cared what the dynamics in their relationship was? So long as there wasn't any abuse involved, and even though there was some hints of it, there had never been any proof. Plus according to those curious enough to investigate, like Madame Pomfrey and the Professors, everything was kosher.

So besides the weird fantasy turning on some of the boys, the daughter of Poseidon didn't see anything to worry about. Heck, in her book it might even be a good thing since it made a lot of the idiot boys leave her alone whenever the couple were around, as they became too busy hoping to get the chance to see some action between the two girls.

"I demand you break up at once, Ginny! No daughter of mine is going to be something as scandalous as another woman's plaything!"

 _She didn't seem to object so much when she thought they were a normal couple._ Rhode observed with some distaste. _The moment you find out that they aren't 'normal' and they become 'scandalous'? What a bitch._

"You can't tell her what to do. We're together so deal with it." Granger scoffed at the woman. The sheer dismissiveness in her tone surprised Rhode. Since when did the mousy haired girl have such a pair on her?

"Yeah! What gives you the right to tell them what to do!?" A third year that Rhode knew to be a muggleborn shouted in the couple's defense.

She wasn't the only one. Standing supportively behind the couple was practically Gryffindor's entire muggleborn population. Seeing this, Rhode couldn't help frowning as she realized that this family dispute had escalated into something a lot more dangerous.

Ever since the siege began, the muggleborns in the castle have been treated with suspicion. Which with their muggle roots, was perfectly understandable. That didn't make it any more bearable though as it led to a lot of tension in Gryffindor Tower

The mounting tension wasn't limited to the Gryffindors though, it was palpable throughout the castle. Seeing a pureblood witch attacking Granger publicly, it was not a surprise that her fellow muggleborn would back her up. After the battle last year, Granger's actions and winning of the Order of Merlin had elevated her to the status of role model among the muggleborn.

With such a role model under attack, things were likely to get explosive if it continued. Especially as it looked like the purebloods were imitating the muggleborn and slowly forming up behind Mrs. Weasley.

 _Why am I the only adult here?_ Rhode asked herself as she made her way to dissolve this latest spark threatening to ignite the already smoldering powder keg.

"Come on," Rhode grunted as she tried to shove her way through the engrossed crowd but was making little headway.

She increased her efforts when Mrs. Weasley drew her wand. _Shit! This could get bad._

"Ginny, you come here this instant!" The ginger haired woman growled and when her daughter refused, she resorted to magic. " _Accio_ Ginny."

Granger whipped her wand out and countered with a spell of her own, " _Arresto Momentum_!"

The two stared each other down almost like an showdown at high noon right out of a classic Western. Granger and Mrs. Weasley glared at one another, their wands poised to attack at any given second. The crowd muttered to each other, some egging them on like savages.

Most worrying, the pureblood and muggleborn supporters had followed their leaders' examples and had drew their wands on each other as well.

Gasps were released as Ginny scrambled back to her lover's side and drew her own wand on her mother.

At the sight, the hurt in the Weasley matriarch's eyes was clear as day.

Few if anybody noticed though as almost everyone in the Common Room drew their wands and stood behind either party they agreed with.

Standing in the middle of a possible firefight, Rhode couldn't stand it any longer. Marching between the two armed groups, the brunette let out a furious and frustrated roar, "Will you idiots knock it off!"

At her shout, the temperature in the Common Room dropped several degrees.

Now that she had gathered their attention, she glared at both groups. "In case you people have forgotten, we're in the middle of a siege. It doesn't matter if you're muggleborn, or pureblood, or even halfblood. It's not like the muggles are giving any of us a break. We're all stuck in here together so stop being idiots!"

Many looked shamefaced at this while others looked disgruntled at her words. Well, too bad for them.

Rounding on Mrs Weasley, Rhode decided it was time to let the woman know just how annoyed she was with her and her smothering.

"Listen, I get you're all bent out of shape but guess what? You have no say in this. Seriously, who are you to decide Ginny's life. It's her choices that matter, not yours. If you don't like it, deal with it and spare us your nonsense."

Molly squawked at her, eyes wide in shock for a moment. However as the words sank in, she was overcome by her anger and her eyes narrowed fiercely. "And what right do you have to tell _me_ what to do?!"

The brunette took one menacing step towards the woman and she shuffled back in fright.

Before things could escalate though, Snape and Sinistra arrived with a small group of Aurors -Shacklebolt being the only one who she recognised though- as everyone quickly holstered their wands.

"Miss Evans speaks truth, Mrs. Weasley. We cannot afford these little incidents. I suggest you accept your daughter's decisions or we will have to move you somewhere else." Snape said coolly, his oily voice laced with a slight menacing edge.

Molly rounded on the man, her eyes wide and frantic as if her last nerve had snapped, "I don't take orders from a Death Eater!"

Those in the Common Room gasped at this. Snape looked unfazed at such a petty insult but others took offense on his account.

With a roar, Shacklebolt drew his wand.

"You dare?! After everything this man has done! You dare call him _that_?!" The bald Auror said as he shot an overpowered stunner at the portly woman that sent her crashing into a wall.

"Calm yourself, Shacklebolt." Snape smoothly said, walking forward nonchalantly and cast a _Rennervate_ on the downed woman. He grasped her hand and with effort, aided the woman to her feet.

"As Hogwarts' Headmaster, everyone here is my responsibility. You are all guests in _my_ school." The Potions Master reminded everyone. "As such, unless you wish to see how long you can last outside these stone walls, you had best follow my rules. You will leave your daughter be in regards to her decisions about her betrothal."

His long nose turned to the couple in question and he said, "I cannot protect you two forever. So in order to avoid these annoyances I suggest you wed as soon as possible. At least in order to spare me this headache."

"But Headmaster, how?" Granger said, shuffling her feet, "We're underage."

Snape actually released an amused snort at this, "The Ministry is being quite lax on age restrictions at the moment. They seem rather desperate for gold instead these days."

The couple nodded in understanding.

With a dramatic sweep of his robe -The dramatic ham- Snape left the Common Room with the Aurors behind him. They pulled Mrs. Weasley along, who looked like a shaken mess as she was removed from the scene.

 _Thank Olympus,_ Rhode sighed as she rubbed the back of her damp hair.

Sinistra looked to the students, "Everyone go prepare for your morning classes. They start in half an hour."

"Great." The demigoddess muttered with slacked shoulders.

So much for a relaxing bubble bath.

* * *

A few weeks later in the New Great Hall, Rhode was having lunch.

 _Damn, they reduced the portions again._ Rhode noted with a frown as she tapped her spoon lightly against the edge of the bowl.

Their food situation continued to grow worse despite the best efforts of those with agricultural knowledge. Even with almost every square inch of the grounds converted into farms and the heavy fishing of the Black Lake, there just wasn't enough food for the castle's occupants.

Much to the consternation of the wizards, their magic couldn't solve the problem. Conjuring food just didn't work. Transfigurations helped but wasn't permanent so creating food with it was incredibly unsafe. Summoning was out too since the muggles' barriers blocked it.

Plus, the magically accelerated growth of crops and life cycles of fish could only do so much.

Su had been the main reason they hadn't starved to death yet frankly. She proved to be her mother's daughter alright, to the point that at Minister Thicknesse's insistence she had taken charge of the castle's farming efforts despite there being way more experienced magicals running around.

To stretch whatever food stores was available, the house elves had been making some kind of stew. It was supposed to be filling and full of all the required nutrients, but tasted completely bland.

Thankfully, some kind souls had donated what spices they had to let it go down better.

Rhode looked up and down the line of spices. She mulled over what she could throw in this time until her eyes landed on a small glass shaker with some type of finely ground powder, "Sugar? Salt?"

She picked it up. There was no label on it so she decided to give it a sniff. It had a sweet scent, like pomegranate, "Wow, where have you been?"

She sprinkled it over her stew and put away the shaker. Taking a spoonful, Rhode began her meal and let the warm stew slide down her throat. As it did, a cough leapt from her lips as she put her spoon down. Her sea green eyes screwed shut for a moment, her head felt… hazy. Opening her eyes, they looked around until they landed on an older looking gentleman.

He looked about forty, but could have easily been older since he was a wizard after all. He was handsome, with a well-trimmed mustache and beard with a pair of glasses resting on his nose. He was dressed in fine looking robes that made him look like he came out of a story.

Rhode's heart felt like it was pounding against her ribs as her cheeks grew hot. Her fingers twirled a strand of her hair, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Was he looking at her? Did she have something on her face? Was there something wrong with her clothes?

The brunette got to her feet, while feeling as if she was gliding on air. She was going to say hello, but he was already leaving the Great Hall.

Her heart leapt to her throat. She didn't want him to leave her! Quickly, the demigoddess followed after him, stumbling after him as he walked down the corridor.

Almost tripping as she reached him, his strong arms managed to catch her, "Are you alright, sweet girl?"

His voice was a deep baritone, something which sent a tingle down Rhode's spine.

"I-I'm fine. Thank you." She stammered, mentally cursing herself for acting like such a spaz.

"Care for a walk, my dear?" The man asked smoothly as he chivalrously extended his arm to her, causing the teenager to swallow heavily. Nervously, Rhode twined his limb with her own and they proceeded to walk.

She didn't know where they were going. They went down a few flight of stairs, but other than that, Rhode was too preoccupied with how strong his arm was. She let out a few giggles, feeling shy in the presence of the handsome gent.

Soon, she recognized that they were in the chilly dungeon area of the castle for some reason.

The dashing eyes of his shifted left and right, as if looking for something. Apparently he didn't find what he was looking for, but seemed oddly happy over that fact.

"Is everything okay?" She asked him with a tilt of her head, her voice airy.

"Absolutely perfect." He smiles at her, before the girl found herself pushed against the wall. A surprised gasp escapes her as his smile turned smoldering.

He leaned forward to kiss her! What a roguish move! His hands were already pawing at her uniform jumper, trying to pull it up.

Before his lips could even touch her own, a vine wrapped around his neck. With a distressed cry, the man struggled to breath as he was pulled away and slammed into the far wall.

"Huh?" Rhode questioned through her muddled mind. She turned to see Su and Lee rushing over to her, both looking very upset for some reason.

Rhode opened her mouth to protest, but Lee just used the opportunity to stuff a bezoar into her mouth. She struggled to spit it out but the son of Hermes was having none of it, he jabbed her throat and forced her to swallow.

As the magical panacea did its work, Rhode's clouded mind cleared and suddenly she was hit by the realization of what had just happened. She had almost been molested!

That epiphany had the daughter of the seas recoiling in horror and a whole confusing bag of emotions. She was ashamed that she'd let something like this happen to her. She felt dirty that the bastard had touched her. She felt vulnerable after having very nearly being violated. But at the same time, she was absolutely furious!

As her Fatal Flaw reared its head, quite justifiably in this case, the entire corridor of the castle quickly transformed into a scene straight out of the Arctic as thick layers of ice covered the walls and snow began to fall.

"Lemme at him!" Rhode demanded as she attempted to push pass Lee.

The son of Hermes stood firm though.

"Not on my life." The normally jovial young man said seriously. "I'm not letting you do anything stupid."

Rhode was about to retort when a commanding voice joined the conversation.

"I must agree with Mr. Jordan, Miss Evans." Snape said as he walked towards them, eying the unseasonal winterscape with a raised brow. "Though it would do you good to rein in your magic as well."

"After what that scumbag did!?" Her furious frigid gaze shifted towards him, mist escaping her lips with every word.

Snape just shot her a unflinching look. "Yes, unless you want to join him in being arrested by the Aurors?"

"That's-!"

"Ridiculous?" The Headmaster cut her off. "Not fair? Perhaps, but considering how tightly Miss Li has him restrained."

He gestured to Rhode's bound attacker and addressed Su. "Miss Li? Please loosen your vines slightly, he's suffocating." Su frowned but complied. "Good, thank you."

Turning back to Rhode, he continued. "He's helpless at the moment. An attack against him now would not be covered under self-defense. Not that the concept is taken into account much by the Ministry in the first place."

"Rhode, he's right." Su admitted unhappily, flexing her hands, a sign that the normally kind hearted girl wanted to strangle the man further. "If we hurt him now, the Ministry is likely to arrest us for assault never mind the circumstances."

Lee nodded in agreement, his usual trickster's smile replaced by a grim frown.

The scion of Poseidon gritted her teeth in frustration but did her best to rein herself in. Thinking back to the one thing that had never failed to temper her anger, she recalled the Seashell Incident. The reminder of what was her greatest failure dispelled her fury and with it the frigid changes to their surroundings.

 _What right does a killer of innocents like me have to be angry at anything?_ Rhode thought to herself self-deprecatingly even as all her anger suddenly drained from her as the sick 'gift' from the goddess Nemesis did as it was supposed to.

Unfortunately, the dredging up of her guilt over that incident left her feeling small and vulnerable, thus leaving her open to being overwhelmed by the similar feelings of weakness that the traumatic experience she'd just gone through triggered.

Her whole body started to shake and she gnawed on her bottom lip.

 _I feel so dirty. I need a bath, a nice long one._ She thought as she wrapped her hands around herself, "Can I leave now?"

The demigoddess winced at how _tiny_ her voice was. In almost any other situation, she might have felt humiliated at showing so much weakness, but right now she hardly cared.

Snape nodded, but said, "Yes, but before you go there's something I need to know in order to tell the Aurors. How far did he manage to get?"

Rhode froze at the question and tears welled in her eyes. Just thinking about what the man had done made her skin crawl and want to scrub every inch of her body until it was raw to get rid of every trace of him. And now Snape wanted her to describe what happened!? She couldn't do it!

Coming over, Su wrapped her slender arms around Rhode caringly and the taller girl unconsciously nestled closer to her friend.

When this proved insufficient to coax Rhode into replying, the Chinese girl shot her a reassuring smile and answered in her stead.

"He did not touch her skin. I made sure of that." The daughter of Demeter said with a twinge of viciousness.

Snape released a sigh of relief, "That's good. I have an idea what the man intended and he would have needed full blown intercourse to achieve it."

Lee gasped while Su tightened her hold around Rhode, showing a surprising amount of strength as she asked, "What do you think he wanted with her?"

"If my suspicions are correct, he intended to make Rhode his slave via a particularly infamous dark ritual. The first step of which is to use a love potion on the victim to confuse their mind and then raping the poor soul."

Rhode paled, her trembling got worse, and she grew weak in her knees. Only Su's strong and comforting embrace kept her standing.

"So," Lee licked his lips, looking pale, "how could you know all this?"

Snape clicked his fingers and a house elf appeared holding the shaker that Rhode had used earlier.

"One sniff of this 'spice' and I could tell a potion was involved." Snape explained, his face growing sour, "One that I am sadly all too familiar with from my time in Voldemort's service during the First War. The Prewett Ritual is truly a dreaded thing."

Rhode's frightened eyes set upon the asshat as he was picked up by the Aurors who had just arrived. The urge to gut the man reared its head again as the effect of Nemesis' power began to wear off, and the temperature dropped. She didn't act though, instead taking a deep breath and wrenching her eyes away from the scum as he was dragged away.

"Mr. Jordan, Miss Li. Please escort Rhode away to recover. I will deal with this matter."

Rhode still felt rooted where she stood as she did her best to recompose herself and failing. She moved on autopilot as Su guided her and Lee walked ahead of them to help clear the way.

"Come on, Rhode." She said with honey in her voice, her hand stroking her back soothingly.

As they slowly made their way out of that damned corridor, they overheard part of the conversation between Snape and the Aurors.

"This one of Weasley's products?" An Auror asked.

"It has to be." Snape confirmed. "That damned woman! I told her to stop peddling her love potions."

"Come on, Molly's just trying to make ends meet with her old family's trade. What people do with it ain't her fault."

"You crazy? What she's selling is sick. That mad woman should be locked up. Selling that kinda stuff in a school of all places. We've already got one kiddy toucher here. Who knows how many more weaseled their way behind the walls."

Su's hold tightened around Rhode protectively as she urged her to move faster.

Lee had a dark look in his eyes, muttering something about sabotage and crazy gingers.

Rhode just wanted to be far away from here.

* * *

Rhode's legs gently kicked the water of the lake. Su was nearby, refusing to leave Rhode's side tonight and probably for a while in the future as well.

It was kind of her Rhode noted, a small smile on her lips.

Sadly, that level of comfort wasn't enough for the assault victim. She didn't know what would be but she definitely needed more.

As such desperate for more comfort, she fished out her phone and called the one person she was sure would be able to help. Her Father.

Who better to offer sweet comfort than a godly parent?

It only rung for a second or two before it was picked up and she heard his voice.

" _Rhode? Are you alright?"_

The kindness and worry in his tone washed over her like a blanket of relief.

"Hi Daddy." Rhode whispered, feeling like a little kid as she blinked away a few tears that had welled up.

" _I know what happened."_ He said, his voice was so angry that she had little doubt that somewhere around the world was feeling the sea's wrath, _"Know that your brother and I will be paying this stain on creation a visit. I'd be there right now for you my little Pearl, but sadly it would spark a war with the mortals."_

"I-It's okay." She sniffled, rubbing her eyes with her palm, "I just really really wanted to hear your voice."

" _Always, Daughter. Just rest and in the morning, all this will be like it happened to someone else."_

At his words, _something_ washed over her. Rhode felt her anxiety and fear drain away as her heart felt at ease.

"Night, Dad."

" _Good night, my Pearl."_

After hanging up, Rhode decided to slip into the lake.

Drifting down, Rhode curled up into a fetal position.

Closing her eyes, Rhode let the sense of safety she always felt in the water wash over her.

It was as if her Father was right there with her.

* * *

The next morning, Rhode stood before her wardrobe dressed in her bedclothes trying to decide what to wear. She was supposed to wear her Hogwarts uniform, of course, as she was still a student of the school but...

Looking at the uniform, disdain filled her. What had the school ever done for her? Or the Wizarding World for that matter?

 _Nothing, that's what. So why should I bother following their bloody rules._ Rhode concluded as she made her choice and reached for a pair of jeans.

Walking down to the Common Room wearing the jeans and a green and black striped tee-shirt, she saw Lee was waiting at the foot of the stairs leading up to the girls' dorms. Despite evidently having been waiting for her, he seemed surprised to see her.

"Rhode, hey, uh… you sure you don't want to rest for today?" He asked, looking at her with worry.

"Yeah. Like hell I'm staying down after that."

He smiled at her, shaking his head, "Of course you would. Just don't push yourself too hard. Su would worry herself into a frenzy if you did."

"Heh, true."

He bounced on his feet, smiling at her, "Well, if you're up and about, do you want to do some training? That'll clear your head like nothing else."

"Sure." Rhode said, even if she honestly didn't need to clear her head. To be honest, she was feeling pretty chipper despite what had happened yesterday. She wouldn't turn down a chance at training though.

"Let's go." He said with nudge of his head.

The two departed and headed for the Room of Requirement. They were pleased to see that the room was empty this time.

"Still haven't figured out who knows about this place yet?" Lee pondered aloud.

Rhode shrugged, "It doesn't matter. It's ours for the day."

Lee smirked at her, "You want to continue your Animagus training?"

Tanned cheeks turned red as the girl swatted his arm, "You damn well know I don't have the patience for it. Plus it's stupid."

"Come on, I bet you'd turn into a cute pony or some kind of fish!"

Rhode just swatted him again. Even if the idea of turning into a pony had some appeal.

Before more violence came upon Lee, Su arrived at the scene. Once her eyes landed on Rhode, she ran up to her.

"Thank goodness! Rhode, I was looking for you. You weren't in your dorm and I was worried." She fretted while looking over the taller demigoddess, "Thankfully you were in the second place I thought you would be."

"Su, don't worry. I'm fine." Rhode assured her, though Su didn't look very convinced by her words.

"Decided to bring her here for some training. You know Rhode and training, it always makes her feel better." Lee said with a smile towards the daughter of Demeter, who just nodded in agreement even as she shot Rhode a look before looking away with a blush.

"So what are we practicing today?" Rhode asked as they walked into the room. Their training equipment promptly appearing as they crossed the room's threshold along with all the usual settings they had when they trained.

"How about we continue with our lessons on Apparition?"

The three demigods had been learning Apparition on and off since last year. The skill was useful sure, but easily countered by wards and so had never really been much of a priority. It could only be carried out in the Room of Requirement though and since they had managed to claim the room for the first time in ages, it was somewhat fitting to practice it.

Su smirked, "It's convenient that the Room of Requirement can lower the wards."

"I know right." Lee agreed.

Rhode pouted, "Apparition? But I've already almost mastered it."

"Hey, some more practice wouldn't hurt." Lee countered.

"Alright." Rhode said as she concentrated. "I guess we can train other stuff next time. It's not like we can get the Room everyday."

"That and I still need to work on it quite a bit." Su admitted with a pout of her own.

After half an hour of training, Rhode was popping from one side of the Room to another without any problems. In contrast, Su seemed to still have trouble Apparating without splinching. Thankfully no limbs were lost so far.

"Su, maybe take a break." Lee softly suggested to the winded girl.

"No. I-I can do this." Su wiped her brow, a determined gleam in her eyes.

Both Lee and Rhode looked at each other in concern for a moment before Lee smirked.

"Hmm. I've got an idea!" Lee said, as he grabbed Rhode by her hand.

"Hey!"

"Come on." Lee said as he placed Rhode on the other side of the room. He smiled at Su and said, "Now try and reach Rhode. You know you want to."

He winked at the Chinese girl and stepped away.

Rhode had a pretty decent idea at what he was trying, but it pissed her off. She was not some toy for Su to try and reach. Her friend wasn't some puppy after all. Though the implications did bring a dusting of pink to her cheeks. Su's face however was as red as a turnip.

Once more, the daughter of Demeter concentrated and after a moment, she disappeared in a loud pop.

Rhode felt herself pushed back as Su appeared right in front of her, panting as her slim arms had somehow wrapped around Rhode's body. There were no signs of splinching thankfully as Su rested against the taller brunette's body.

Her head seeming to _accidently_ rest against Rhode's bosom.

Sneaky little minx.

"Ok, let's take a break." Lee said even as a table full of breakfast foods materialized out of nowhere.

"Yeah, I'm starving. Let's grab breakfast." Rhode said, as she helped the exhausted Su to the table.

As they ate, Rhode brought up a common complaint about their current situation: the Siege of Hogwarts.

"I'm telling you guys, we should just leave." The daughter of Poseidon told her friends with a frown. "I mean this isn't exactly our war, is it?"

Lee and Su exchanged a look. They'd had this conversation a thousand times already and both were quite tired of hearing it. Though by the way they both shrugged, they seemed to think it was better than Rhode being worked up about what happened yesterday.

 _Not that I'm feeling all that bad about it._ Rhode noted. _Dad's magic does good work!_

Turning back to the discussion she'd initiated, the sea child couldn't help but feel fed up with the whole WIzarding World. The latest incident was definitely the straw that broke the camel's back and whatever pity she had left for the Wizarding World was pretty much done.

"Mum's still here with my Step-Dad," Lee reminded her with a frown, "though they have been talking about just surrendering to the muggles. They're not there yet, but I'm confident I can convince them with time."

"The real problem is my Father," Su looked at her meal in sadness, "He has responsibilities here and he takes them very seriously. It is why he is excellent at his job. He is doing all he can to keep everyone safe after all."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Rhode urged her friend.

"I have, but he remains unmoved on the topic." The Chinese girl said sounding frustrated.

The disquiet on her face cleared quickly however and was replaced with a cheeky grin. "About this siege…"

"Yeah?" Rhode asked curious as to what had her friend changing moods so quickly.

"They may take our Hogsmeade, but they can never take our treedom!" Su proclaimed suddenly.

Quirking a brow, the daughter of Poseidon asked, "Are you still using those drugs from Third Year, Su?"

"No!" She denied quickly, looking scandalized.

 _Man that was a scary time, but then again with how she acted...How the hell didn't I notice her feelings?_ Rhode mused as Lee laughed at the now stammering girl.

"If you do it's okay, Su." Lee said with a mischievous smile. "In fact, mind sharing from your stash?"

"L-Lee!"

Her reaction had both Rhode and Lee laughing.

 _Damn, I needed that._ The daughter of Poseidon thought to herself as she let the levity wash away all her frustrations with the things in her life.

* * *

Later in the day, Rhode was stuck in her Transfiguration class as the lesson dragged on at a snail's pace. The new Professor, some former Unspeakable that had replaced the late McGonagall just lacked his predecessor's charm. In fact the only thing interesting about him or his lessons was the fact that the girl swore she had his name on the tip of her tongue but no matter how hard she tried to recall it kept escaping her. She couldn't nail down his appearance either.

Plus that hood and cloak that he and the Unspeakables wore as their uniform didn't help Rhode's memory at all.

Apparently, the confusion was the result of some fancy magic that the man had started using after he'd been reinstated by the Ministry when the siege started.

Just as the demigoddess was ready to just close her eyes and take a nap, a misty rainbow shimmer appeared before her. It quickly resolved into the image of Jack as he exclaimed, _"Rhode!"_

Her drowsiness fled as her heart pounded in panic. The idiot son of snow's shout had caught the attention of everyone in the class.

"Miss Evans, what is going on?!" The professor asked in a shocked tone.

Acting as quickly as she could, she summoned the Mist and smothered the classroom with it. As everyone here was a wizard, Rhode had to lay it on thick.

When all those around her were reduced to a daze, Rhode glared furiously at her boyfriend, "Are you _nuts_?! I told you, don't just randomly I.M. me while I'm here! I can get caught!"

" _Rhode, I-I just-"_

"But nothing! I'll call you after class, Jack." She snapped, wiping away the rainbow image as the Mist finally released its grasp over the classroom.

Thankfully, no one looked at her funny as the professor shook his head.

"Mm, well, as I was saying." The Professor said as he continued the lesson. "When Transfiguration is used on say an animal in the real world, be sure to consider the ecosystem of that area. Many an ecosystem has been ruined by some witch or wizard transfiguring something they shouldn't have. Usually this isn't a problem, since most transfigurations are generally only temporary. But if done improperly it _can_ be permanent and such abominations can be very dangerous to the environment that they're introduced into."

Rhode released a sigh of relief as she slumped in her chair.

As soon as class ended, the daughter of Poseidon had rushed to the nearest girl's bathroom, where after checking that she was alone she proceeded to pick a stall and lock the door.

 _This is so risky. If only the Room of Requirement wasn't being used. Seriously, I can hardly find a place_ not _swarmed by people._

The next best place to be alone would be in the dungeons, but Rhode refused to ever go down there now. Even for Potions class.

Using her wand, she started to cast her spell softly under her breath, causing a rainbow to emerge from her wand. Shuffling through her pockets, she pulled out a Drachma and said, "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering."

Tossing the golden coin in, the rainbow accepted the offering.

"Jack Overland at Camp Half-Blood."

The rainbow shimmered as an image of Jack took shape, he appeared with worry etched on his features. He was alone, the lake in the background and looked relieved as he noticed the I.M..

" _Thank Olympus. Are you alright? I heard what happened."_ He told her.

Rhode's stern gaze softened at that. She hated the fact that she had worried her friends and family over what had happened.

"I'm alright. I promise, but you have to be careful Jack. Those Spooks said the magical world and the godly world have to stay separated."

" _Yeah, alright."_ The white haired boy dismissed, before jumping straight to his point. _"More importantly, I don't think that place is safe anymore. It's like some crazy medieval drama show. And that includes the whackjobs!"_

Rhode messaged her temple at this, "I agree with you, but I can't just walk out of here. If I try, it'd take a fight just to do so. With both the muggles _and_ the wizards. Then I go from Heroine to Dark Lady and terrorist. I cannot live with that kind of heat for the rest of my life."

Her explanation only made him twist his handsome features with a frown, _"You have to at least try, Rhode. Don't you have that fancy cloak of yours?"_

Biting the inside of her cheek, the brunette pointed out, "It's not infallible, Jack. And I cannot just leave Su and Lee here with their families. I have a responsibility to look out for them. We have to watch out for our own."

" _Then sneak out their parents too. I'm sure I can get some of Cabin Eleven to think up a plan for you guys."_

Rhode leaned against the wall of the stall, sighing tiredly.

" _It's Li isn't it?"_ Jack said, his face twisting angrily. _"She's staying for her dad and you just don't want to leave her."_

"Hey, that's not fair!" She said with heat entering her tone.

" _It's true isn't it? You know it is."_

Rhode glared at him. "It's not what you think."

" _Oh! Really? Then is it that you just like the attention from the guys in that fancy old castle of yours?"_

Rhode squawked at him, "Are you that insecure? Do you have that little faith in me?"

" _Please."_ He rolled his eyes, but still refused to answer her question. _"You seem to just be having too much fun. It's not enough at Camp, but having all those idiots swooning over you too? Must be fun. Or is it just Li kissing the ground you walk on that you like?"_

Rhode could not believe what she was hearing. In fact, she was outright scandalized by the accusation!

"You can't be serious!"

" _I'm dead serious!"_ Jack shot back. _"You never seem satisfied with us. You're always flaunting yourself to everyone with eyes and appreciating the attention from Li. Do you honestly think I'm okay with that?"_

"Flaunting myself?" Rhode asked incredulously.

" _You know exactly what I mean!"_ The boy said, his eyes narrowed. _"You say we're together but you keep walking around in sexy outfits all the damn time. As if you're trying to pick up someone new! Not satisfied with me, huh?"_

"So you expect me to cover up like some nun just because we're dating!?"

" _No, but some discretion would be nice."_ Jack replied, _"Do you know what the guys in Cabin Eleven say about you when you walk around Camp in nothing but a bikini every other day?"_

"It's a fucking summer camp! I like swimming in the lake! Child of the king of the damn seas over here!"

Jack's eyes narrowed further as he sarcastically replied, _"Yeah, and a towel is so hard to find? Or a one piece?"_

"Don't hear you complaining when we make out, Mister Grabby Hands."

" _So you want everyone to make out with you with their eyes?"_

"How about you stop twisting my words like a dick?!"

" _How about you stop twisting everyone else's! But then again it's not just guys that you're trying to turn on is it?"_

"Jack-" Rhode said warningly as her anger was mirrored by the shuddering of the entire bathroom.

" _Or is it just Li. She's the one you're always trying to make hot and bothered after all!"_

The daughter of Poseidon flinched at that. At the sliver of truth that was in the statement. She'd only noticed it after Su confessed her true feelings for her, but Rhode had always gotten a thrill out of dressing up and getting a reaction from her best friend. She'd previously written it off as just trusting the Chinese girl's opinion on fashion, but now… Now she recognized that she tended to get the most enjoyment when she wore something sexy and Su got all flustered.

All that time she'd been flirting with her best friend and had been too cowardly to even admit it.

" _Nothing to say? Not surprised. We both know it's true."_

"Jack," Rhode said pleadingly, "Su and I are just friends."

" _Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?"_ Jack shot back. _"Because, let me tell you, you're not doing a good job on me."_

Rhode shook her head, trying to deny what he was saying but knowing she couldn't.

" _Tell me, Rhode, how far have you cheated on me with Li?"_

The child of the seas was taken aback by the accusation and physically recoiled. "I haven't!"

Her boyfriend ignored her and just continued insinuating she was a cheating floozy. _"Have you kissed her? Made out with her? Hell, maybe you've already went further with her than you ever did with me and went all the way with her? It wouldn't surprise me!"_

"How dare you!"

" _I dare because it's not like you haven't already committed emotional adultery with her!"_

"What the fuck is that?"

Jack continued to ignore her and just kept ranting. _"We're dating, but you behave like your feelings for Su are the same as the ones we share."_

"She's my best friend!"

" _Right. Like that's all you two are."_ Jack said with a roll of his eyes.

"So you can't trust me?" Rhode asked rethorectically, though Jack's nod just caused the nail in her heart that the realization had pierced it with to go even deeper.

"Then we're done!" Rhode said sadly. "Hope you're happy."

Before he could respond, she ended her rainbow spell as hot tears filled her eyes. Putting her wand away, she tried to blink them out. Palming her face, her body began to shake as hiccups escaped her.

Rhode didn't understand how her heart could hurt so much? It was as if a dagger had plunged into it and was twisted to and fro without remorse.

Grabbing some toilet paper, the child of Poseidon blew her nose and tried to dry her tears.

Sadly, they just wouldn't stop.

A soft knock came from the stall door, making her back go rigid.

"Y-Yes?" She hiccuped.

"Are you alright, Rhode?" The soft voice of Su asked from the other side.

As if her heart wasn't already in knots, her friend coming when she was at this vulnerable time didn't help.

In fact, thinking back on it, Su's been showing up a lot recently. The distressed girl thought it unlikely to be a coincidence.

"Can you let me in?"

Staring at the door, it took a moment for her to comply. Once unlocked, Su walked in and locked it closed behind her. It was pretty cramped in the stall between the two of them, but they both managed to sit atop the closed toilet.

She fluttered those long lashes at Rhode as her hand moved to rub small circles on her back.

"It'll be alright, Rhode." She soothingly told her, "If he can't appreciate what a wonderful girl you are, then it's his loss."

Rhode rested her chin on Su's shoulder, rubbing her eyes some more, "So you overheard everything huh?"

"Not everything. Just enough."

"Have I really been umm… emotionally cheating with you?"

"That's just silly talk." Su assured her, her hold growing tighter. "So what if you had feelings for me? You never acted on them. Besides, you've put yourself out there for Jack, time and time again. It's not your fault he's so guarded. That quest with his mother destroyed him. You tried to pick up the pieces, but it just wasn't enough."

"I just, you know, wanted to help him. But then, then… I don't know... things just got so complicated. My feelings… I can't control them! And now I'm just so damn confused and I don't know what to do right now." Rhode sniffled, burying her face into Su's neck. A sense of security filling her from being so close to her friend.

Gods how Jack's words seem to ring true.

It broke her heart even further.

Soft lips brushed against her ear, sending a shudder of questionable feelings down the taller girl's spine, as they whispered… seductively, "I can help with that."

Recoiling at the sudden declaration, Rhode looked up and moved back somewhat from the blunt answer.

"I know you like like me, but-."

Su soil black eyes looked at her unflinching, "Relax. I won't do anything you don't want me to. Would you at least like to try?"

Rhode was conflicted. On one hand, accepting what Su was offering would just be confirming what Jack said. But on the other hand, she really wanted some love right now.

Those soft delicate hands held her cheeks, her thumbs brushing away any stray tears in her almond shaped eyes.

 _Would it be so bad to be selfish, just this once?_ Rhode thought to herself as she hesitantly nodded.

The petite girl leaned forward and her pouty lips pressed against Rhode's own.

It was a chaste kiss. Nothing more, nothing less.

Yet, it sent electricity running through Rhode's veins at the sudden connection.

Yearningly, as Su pulled away a little, the taller brunette leaned forward to brush her lips against Su's. Taking the cue to continue, her… friend? Or was it girlfriend now? Who cared?! Su returned the kiss.

She didn't stop there however and she parted her lips to let her little tongue wiggle out and trace along Rhode's closed lips. The daughter of Poseidon, feeling a surge of daring and desire, opened her mouth to let the Chinese girl admittance whereupon their two tongues began caressing each other tenderly as the two began to French. Rhode had no idea how Su had learned to kiss so well and for an irrational instant considered hunting down just who had taught her and making sure that they knew that the Chinese girl was _hers_.

Thankfully, the moment of madness passed quickly as the feel of having the other girl press herself into her body and their ever deepening kiss left her on cloud nine. She was soon so deep in her euphoria that all the child of Poseidon could do was flutter her eyes shut as Su explored her mouth.

The sweet taste of plums danced along her taste buds and it was sweeter than any Skittle could hope to be.

Breaking away for air, Su licked her lips and smiled at her, "Mm, salty."

Seeing this, Rhode stood up and pinned Su against the stall wall. Crashing their lips together once more as she savoured the shorter girl's intoxicating taste.

Suddenly, and much to Rhode's surprise, Su wrapped her arms under the pit of her arms and flipped them around so that she was against the stall wall instead. The move had her gasping first in surprise and then the shock of hitting the wall, something that the daughter of Demeter capitalized on both times to push her tongue - if it was possible - further into Rhode's mouth.

Nearly lost in their passion, the tanned girl released a shriek when something ran across her arm.

"Hehe," Su giggled against her lips, her pale cheeks flushed as she peppered butterfly kisses along her jawline, "Helel wants to play too."

Before Rhode could even stammer out that she didn't mind and understood that the devil's snare was practically an extension of Su by this point, the daughter of fertility used her firm control and continued their kissing.

The surprisingly smooth vines ghosted across her skin, leaving behind a sensation that contrary to her expectations was not unpleasant. Far from it, it felt wonderful. It was like a tender caress all over her body. The effect left Rhode moaning in pleasure, something which was added to as Su began kissing and sucking on Rhode's neck heavily.

Not that it was all one-sided. Rhode was trying to do her best to pay Su back for how wonderful she was making her feel too. She ran her hands across the shorter girl's body in the ways and places that turned her on, hoping it would do the same for the other girl. Which judging by the moans and occasional trembling that overtook the Chinese girl seemed to do the trick.

The two were completely lost to the world for the hour or so that followed.

Finally sated, Rhode's knees went weak as she slid to the floor. Her unfocused gaze looking up to see Su staring down at her triumphantly. Sitting down next to her, Su rested her head against Rhode's shoulder.

For a moment, they both watched as Helel picked up Su's uniform jumper from the floor where it had been discarded while they made out and placed in on the hook on the stall door. Rhode had gone further with Su in this one explosion of passion then she'd ever gone with Jack.

Not only had Su thrown off her jumper, she'd unbuttoned her blouse and pushed aside her bra to let Rhode have free access to her modest bust too. Something that the daughter of Poseidon had used to smother them with kisses and suckle on her nipples till the shorter girl was a quivering mess.

Rhode had let Su return the favour though by her pulling up her tee-shirt to let her girlfriend and Helel explore her upper body. She hadn't even protested, and in fact actively encouraged them both as they slipped their limbs under her skirt to rub against her drenched panties.

The only line they hadn't crossed was actual penetration. Damn, the bottled up sexual tension between them must have been record breaking if this was how far they'd gone for their first time. And next time, and Rhode was going to make sure there was a next time, she might just be willing to cross that one final line too.

"H-How did you do all that?" Rhode murmured as she pulled down her shirt as her lover finished fixing the rest of her clothing and nestled against her cheek.

Impishly, the daughter of Demeter leaned up and pecked her lips, "That's a secret, my love."

Rhode flushed as much as she could. Docilely, she cuddled with he-her lover. Her nose tickled at the feel of the other girl's silken locks. The scent of jasmine easing her beating heart as she whispered, "I love the smell of your hair."

Su preened and huskily replied, "I use jasmine soap and shampoo. Enhancing it with some… experimenting."

Confusion set upon her face, her lover obviously noticed this and so chose to explain.

"Jasmine," She smiled coyly, Helel holding up a lock of her hair and waving it in front of Rhode's nose, "is symbolic. In Chinese culture it represents loyalty, chastity, true and most importantly pure, loyal and sincere love."

Cheeks turning pink, the warrior princess stated, "I didn't know my middle name meant _that_."

Su giggled, it sounded like chiming bells, "This side of you is adorable. I just want to eat you up!"

Her lips reached up and nipped Rhode's ear, causing her light flush to turn a blazing scarlet. Deciding that she had enough of her girlfriend giggling at her expense, Rhode pressed her lips against Su's and began to kiss those pouty lips once more. Enjoying her petite lover's embrace as it molded against her own.

Helel peeked out again and Rhode noted that it smelled of jasmine too.

It was a scent the green eyed beauty was beginning to love.

* * *

**Omake: Deadly Temptation**

**Trigger warnings: Attempted Rape, Mind Control, Orgy, Character Death**

Things in the besieged Hogwarts castle had been strange lately. Mainly due to one deranged woman. As Halloween rolled around the corner, Hermione Granger had suddenly decided that she wasn't satisfied with what she had. Instead she had started acting too big for her breeches and had decided that her ginger wife wasn't good enough. Compelled by her sense of superiority to get what she wants, she decided to build a harem out of the attractive girls at school.

Honestly, Su chalked up her behavior to a bad reaction to a potion. Mostly likely a love potion or aphrodisiac of some sort. Granger was truly a cautionary tale of what could go wrong when using such things.

Whatever the cause, the daughter of Demeter was growing mildly concerned. She'd already ensnared some of the school's famous beauties like Su's senior Cho Chang, the Slytherin Ice Queen Daphne Greengrass, the exotic Patil Twins, the athletic Angelina Johnson and the adorable Susan Bones.

While most of the castle were quietly panicking and the Ministry found their hands tied as she had technically broken no laws, Su didn't really care much besides taking note to give the bushy haired menace and her harem a wide berth. She was too over the moon over recent developments in her love life to care about something as petty as some insignificant woman going crazy.

After all, at long last, the demigoddess had gained the affections of the one she loved above all else.

Rhode Evans was hers and hers alone.

It was amazing. The way they rode their passion set the Chinese girl's soul ablaze!

And nothing, _nothing_ would ruin this for her.

Unfortunately for our heroine, the fates had decided she should care. Very much so indeed.

It was Halloween night and the Ministry, in an attempt to boost morale, had decided to organize a compulsory costume party.

Su had dressed up in an elaborate Poison Ivy costume. After Lee's many references to her similarity to the comic book villain, the infamous Pamela Isley had been the first person to come to mind when the need for a costume had been announced.

Her costume consisted of a green leotard literally made out of leaves as an underlayer, with accompanying leafy opera gloves. Over the leotard she put on a ballroom gown with an nearly obscenely low cut, which Su was only comfortable wearing because of the leotard underneath.

 _I can't wait to let Rhode see me in this._ The Chinese girl thought to herself as she walked down the corridors to the New Great Hall from the Ravenclaw dorms. _It's going to blow her socks off._

Or her panties, either option was fine with her, though the latter was definitely more preferable. Su reddened at the lewd thought but nonetheless her smile grew dazzling at the notion.

So caught up in such thoughts, Su failed to find it odd that the corridors were as empty as they were. There was a party after all, yet there was no one in the halls but herself. She was just picking up on this oddity, when she noticed she had company.

 _Granger's Harpies,_ Su sourly thought as she looked at the bootlickers the bossy woman had acquired. They were all dressed in metal bikinis made of different material, with matching collars and attached chains that resembled Princess Leia's outfit from that one scene in Return of the Jedi.

Seeing all the nimble female flesh and exotic outfits, Su was momentarily distracted as she took a self-conscious gulp to wet her suddenly very dry throat. Before she could even speak however, she felt something strike her from behind and darkness quickly consumed her vision.

Su awoke to the sight of what she could only describe as someone's fantasy bordello. There were soft divans everywhere and translucent curtains hung from the ceiling that could be used to create private spaces, all illuminated by a soft red light. She tried to move to get a better look of her surroundings and found she was tied up to a bed, her body splayed out like some sacrificial offering.

As she tested her bindings, a soft whine caught her attention and she turned to its source to see her kidnapper. The queen harpy herself. Hermione Granger seemed to have one of her hands between a naked Cho's legs while the bookworm's brown eyes roamed Su as if she were a new toy.

Su's own eyes flickered around and swallowed heavily as she took in more details of her surroundings. There were racks of sex toys on every wall and restraints of every type imaginable littered the floor. It could only be described in Su's mind as some kind of twisted sex dungeon.

 _There's no room in Hogwarts like this._ Su concluded. _So this must be the Room of Requirement._

All around the room, Granger's other harem girls were similarly naked, save for their collars and chains. Each girl was attending to another as mewls and squeals hammered into Su's bright red ears. Even as they took care of one another, all the girls' eyes were on Granger. They looked at her with longing gazes upon their wet faces.

Seeing that she was up, Su felt a wave of dread as Granger practically skipped away from a whining Cho and gave the demigod a good view of what she was wearing.

It seemed that Granger had decided to play Catwoman. She was wearing a full leather bodysuit that hugged the bushy haired girl's admittedly attractive figure. The kitty mask offset some of her intent, but the curling of her lips nevertheless caused distress for the tied down young woman.

"Oh! You look so pretty in that costume." The mad woman cooed. "All dressed up. Your costume even matches mine. Catwoman and Poison Ivy were _special_ friends, don't you know."

"You better let me go. Rhode will be here any minute."

At the threat, the cat themed girl just laughed airily.

"Don't worry, my little Bud. That's exactly what I want. After I break you, ravage you and make you one of my devoted thralls, she'll be next." The deranged witch giggled insanely. "Then I'll go after Penelope Clearwater. She's rather plain but having the Head Girl at my beck and call would be quite the power trip. And after that, well… I have a whole castle of beauties to pick from, until I have all of them. Every last girl in Hogwarts, no in the Wizarding World and beyond as my slave."

"You'll never get away with this!" Su pulled against her restraints, but to no avail. Whatever they had used to tie her up was beyond her ability to break. It didn't stop her from trying as a fire burned in her belly at the mention of Rhode. She was _hers_ , no one else's. Especially not some wicked, self-serving harpy!

"Still, I hope she comes soon," Hermione said as her gloved hand stroked Su's cheek, "I brewed plenty of love potions for her. They should break down that wild spirit of hers. Don't worry, you can even help break her in with me. I promise you that."

Su pulled her head away as far as she could from the madwoman's touch. Tears stinging her eyes that such a possible fate could befall the girl she loved heart and soul.

Her chin was lifted up as Granger held it between her fingers. Her thumb brushed along Su's painted lips as she said, "I've always loved how smart you are. I can't wait to pick that brain of yours as you shudder and coo from my touch."

A scathing retort formed on Su's tongue, but died just as fast when Granger pulled out a small sharp looking knife. She squeaked when the blade slid under the straps of her dress and sliced right through them. The dress slumped down on her petite frame, no longer held up by anything and starting to slide off her body.

"What a pretty design. Such nice spell work Su! I cannot wait to unwrap you, layer by layer." Granger cooed as she slowly dragged her hand down the bodice of her ruined dress, pushing it open with the blade of her knife as she went along.

As she finished revealing Su's modest bust, kept from her lustful gaze only by a thin layer of leaves, the madwoman giggled. "Not very big. Not like the Patils. But still perfect. I like them in all sizes after all."

The daughter of Demeter glowered as her face reddened. It was a sour spot for her that her breasts were small. It was why she was somewhat jealous of Rhode's, whose boobs were big, but not obscenely so.

Uncaring for her discomfort, Granger continued cutting away at Su's ruined dress, exposing her leotard clad stomach. Leaning down she gave it a butterfly kiss.

"The first of many." The crazy woman promised, causing Su to shudder in disgust.

Su thanked Aphrodite as Granger began peppering Su's body with kisses but only over her leotard. She could only imagine what concoction Granger might have cooked up that might work on bare skin.

Granger kept cutting through the dress until she reached the skirt where with one final long flourish, she cut through it entirely. Grabbing either side of the torn dress, she roughly pulled them apart and revealing Su's uncovered thighs.

Panic crawled up and down Su's body as she saw Granger moistening her lips and leaning down… closer and closer to her exposed thighs. Frantically, Su tried to think of a means to get out of this predicament.

Without thought, she cried out, "Helel! Get her!"

At her command, Helel's vines lashed out from behind her back where she had hidden the clipping that was her faithful companion's default form.

The vines lashed out, wrapping around the surprised mad woman's neck and lifting her up. The Harpies untangled from each other and rushed to their Mistress' aid, but Helel would have none of it. New vines branched off his existing ones and rapidly ensnared the other girls in the manner its kind was famous for.

Seeing them all trapped and struggling against the Devil's Snare, Su pondered on what to do now even as Helel's vines snapped her bonds.

Noticing Granger turning a funny shade of blue, Su addressed her plant friend, "Helel relax your grip. I don't want her getting off that easy."

Her faithful companion heeded her words and Granger was given a chance to breathe.

"What to do with her though? Hmm…" Su mused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I know! How about some poetic justice?"

Striding toward the trapped Hermione while slipping off the remains of her ruined dress without a second thought, Su looked up at the now frightened young woman with dismissive contempt. A rush of something filled Su's veins at the scared look on Granger's face and it brought a smile to her face.

"You know, you lost the moment you mentioned trying to take _MY_ Rhode." Su told her. "She's mine! No. One. Else's. MINE!"

Focusing her powers, one of Helel's vines crawled along her arm and brushed pressed itself her lips. As it passed, it left her lips coated in something _special_ that might have passed as green lipstick.

Striding towards the frightened woman, Su looked up at her with a superior grin.

"Not so mighty now, are you?" She asked Granger, who squirmed in her binds.

Commanding Helel to bring her forth, Su's hand held the kitty masked girl's face steady as she planted her coated lips on her own. It was just a light peck but that was more than enough.

Pulling away, Su smiled at the last kiss the whiny bitch would ever have.

"My gift to you, you bint."

The girl was too far gone to hear anything Su had to say. The moment she'd made contact with the bushy haired sexual predator's lips, she'd started convulsing. By this point, she'd started foaming at the mouth too and blood was pouring from her eyes, ears and mouth. To complete her humiliating demise, there was even a visible stain and obvious stink forms around her crotch.

"Hm, acts like a child. Leaves like a child." Su commented with a uncharacteristically malicious smirk as she observed that last detail.

Seeing their mistress' fate, the harpies began howling in dismay. The racket was annoying and Su turned her attention to the idiots.

"Silence!" Su demanded, but the girls ignored her.

Gritting her teeth at the incessant noise they were making, Su tried to think of what to do with them. "Now, what to do with these strumpets? Hmm… I know! Orgies are humiliating, right? Helel!"

With a thought a series of flowers bloomed along Helel's vines and released dense clouds of pheromones into the air of the room. Struggling as they were against Helel's vines the harpies quickly inhaled deep lungfuls of the stuff, and with a smirk Su mentally ordered her friend to release them.

As soon as they were free, the girls all looked at one another. Their breath hitched, their eyes glazed and in a frenzy, they pounced on one another.

"Thanks Lesbos!" Su giggled her thanks to the goddess of lesbians as she watched _her_ harem in action. Oh that was a scandalous idea, but one that she was all too willing to have as she fanned her heated face.

The daughter of Demeter was lost in the scene before her, so much so that she almost missed it as the door to the Room slammed open and Rhode rushed in with a worried cry.

"Su! Are you alright?"

With her beloved there, Su lost all interest in the sapphic display and turned all her attention to the daughter of Poseidon. Rhode was dressed as Mera, the Queen of Atlantis from Aquaman. And by the gods was she everything a queen should be. The body hugging green scaled bodysuit showcased her swimmer's figure along with those alluring hips and rear. Atop her head was a crown that looked vaguely like a trident and masterfully held back Rhode's sometimes unruly hair.

 _She truly does deserve that crown on her head. The queen of beauties._ Su thought to herself as she licked her suddenly dry lips. _I for one wouldn't mind falling before her feet in adoring worship._

Skipping over to her beloved, Su plucked one of the pheromone emitting flowers from one of Helel's vines and tucked it behind Rhode's right ear. Her mood was high and she wanted her queen to be just as hot and bothered.

"Let's leave these fools to themselves. We have _better_ things to do." She purred as Rhode's sea green eyes glazed over a little. A noticeable flush on her cheeks told Su that her queen was suitably _excited_.

Dragging Rhode pass the sapphic orgy, Su led her over to the bed that the Room had just conjured and pushed her onto it before straddling her. Caught up in the haze created by Helel's pheromones, her love made no resistance.

Her thighs tightened against those flared hips and she leaned down to caress Rhode's tanned cheeks.

Licking her lips in anticipation, she sat back up and using her powers ordered the real leaves that made up the leotard and gloves to retreat back into the tiny seeds she'd painstakingly embedded in her pores. With that she was disrobed of the last of her clothes.

"Let's have some of our own fun, shall we?" Su asked huskily, as she stretched sensuously to give her lover a good long view of her lithe figure.

Rhode gave a weak nod in reply and the daughter of fertility leaned down once more to begin their night of passion.

* * *

In a startled gasp, Su's soil black eyes flickered open and she looked around her anxiously as she tried to get her bearings. As she realized she was in her dorm, she groaned in disappointment. As her hands rubbed her eyes, she realized it was still the night before Halloween.

Though not everything was against her. As evidenced by how her body was covered in a light sheen of sweat and the pleasant wetness between her legs.

"That was one strange dream."

Moving her damp right hand from under her sheets to rest on the top of her duvet, she adds with blushing cheeks. "A very pleasant one though."

Was the thrill she felt playing the dominant in the dream what her mother felt when she went all Grainzilla?

If so, she understood why her mother sometimes acted like it. It was exhilarating!

"Helel?" She asks and her friend appears from under her sheets, "We should have some naughty times with Rhode. Be prepared for a special night."

Now she just had to try and convince Rhode to try on some costumes that Su liked. Especially body hugging ones.

A giggle escaped her lips.

"Gods being in love is amazing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done!
> 
> Whoa, just wow. Talk about an emotional chapter. Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always.
> 
> Man, from attempted rape, to break ups, to make outs. This chapter just had a love whirlwind unlike Rhode's ever faced! And Su and Jack aim for the top and Su has taken the lead. How bout them apples? Or grains in this case.
> 
> Nameless: Quite the drama filled chapter indeed. Especially in reference to the love triangle, Hope you guys liked the rollercoaster we're trying to make it.
> 
> Now about creepo guy. You can tell what he wanted from Rhode, the famed Heroine, one linked with the Potters and their vast riches and great lineage. With all those people in the walls of Hogwarts, there's no way for all of them to be saints. Some in fact might just like little girls or boys. Dark, I know, but think about what people can do with love potions. It's a pretty fucking scary thing if you really go down that rabbit hole. Thankfully Poseidon has his lil Pearl's back and helped her out.
> 
> Nameless: That and this situation (abusers taking advantage of the situation) is sadly quite common in RL refugee camps. Just do some research and you'll find a disturbing number of examples.
> 
> And so the break up has happened. What to do, what to do, what's Jack-a-boy to do? Can he bounce back or will Su be the surprising seductress she has shown to be? That's up to us and you guys to try and figure out!
> 
> Nameless: The break up… I hoped you saw this coming. We telegraphed it quite a bit by emphasizing the unhealthy aspects of the Jack x Rhode relationship. Those had to catch up with them eventually. That's not to say it's permanent though. Recall, Eros' prophecy to Su. The love triangle won't end until one of Rhode's admirers meets an "untimely end".
> 
> Su x Rhode... Well, we finally let it happen. As we hinted above this will not last. We've gotta keep the love triangle going after all! That said, we're trying our best to contrast the two relationships. One being more genuine and healthy and the other forced and a little disturbing. What do you guys think? Did we do it well?
> 
> E4E: My god, she's a lil minx! I mean, how does innocent Su know all this stuff? At least Rhode had practice with Jack. So who did Su practice with? That's the real question I think. And Helel doesn't stay quiet either it seems. Pervy tentacle vine.
> 
> Nameless: Or was Helel just acting out Su's perversions? And I hope everyone noticed how Rhode never objected to what Helel did? The daughter of Poseidon has quite the high tolerance for kink, huh?
> 
> Now for the omake. Su is OTT in her own little fantasies huh? If you want her more… descriptive thoughts on it you can find it at our AO3 account, NamelessEngine. It's going to be our first fic there so you can't miss it.
> 
> Nameless: We promise you that it's worth it. There's like a whole 2-3 page lemon we had to cut out for this FFN safe version.
> 
> Well, you know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace out my peeps!


	20. My Final Countdown

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Chapter Twenty: My Final Countdown**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

Rhode and Su were happily cuddling in a cozy nook in the library, one of the few reasonably quiet places left in the overcrowded castle, reading and waiting for the dinner bell. Their quiet time was interrupted however when a sudden earthshaking rumble had both demigoddesses standing up in shock. Looking out the windows, they beheld a massive storm rolling in.

The storm was nothing short of awe inspiring. It stretched across the entire horizon and the clouds were so dark that they seemed to swallow up the sunlight rather than just block it. Thunder boomed constantly and rattled the castle, even as lightning flashed across the sky in a lightshow that left many onlookers gasping in stupefied amazement. Literal walls of rain fell from the sky in such volumes that the Black Lake had begun to flood.

Even the muggles in their camps surrounding the castle and its grounds seemed unsettled by the storm as from what Rhode could see from the windows, they were scrambling about like ants did when someone kicked their nest.

"Wonder who pissed him off?" Rhode mused as she thought about her Uncle and King, Zeus. It was the Winter Solstice, so all the gods had gathered to meet. A meeting that was always fraught with tensions, where the gods often rubbed each other the wrong ways and conflicts arose between them.

 _Hope Dad didn't say something that set him off. They can both be such babies._ She mentally sighed with sadness. Her Dad could be pretty petty when it came to dealing with his brothers.

"I don't know, but he's definitely angry." Su murmured to her as the raindrops pelted the windows at bullet like velocity. The petite girl inched into her side, making Rhode wrap her arm around her slim waist.

"Isn't he always? It comes down to _what_ he's angry about." Rhode told her tiredly.

"I wish we could have gone." Su pouted at her. No doubt upset that she couldn't go see her mother, Demeter.

The Campers had been granted a great privilege this year and allowed to visit Olympus for the Winter Solstice. More importantly for the half-bloods it would give them a rare chance to meet their parents, talk with them, and jockey for their attention.

Not that there would be much chance of that. From what Chiron had told her, the whole thing was really just a PR promotion drive. With that in mind, the daughter of the seas doubted the Campers would get much, if any, time to spend with their godly parents. The gods, most of them anyways, would probably rather that the Campers spent the trip getting awed by Olympus than deign to waste their own precious time meeting with their children.

 _It's almost like the gods think we have cooties._ Rhode chuckled in amusement.

Not all of them of course. Poseidon, for example, was an exception. Just look at all the times he'd stretched the rules to pay Rhode a visit. That thought wiped the smile off her face though as she was reminded that she was missing a chance to see her Dad again.

She honestly missed him and his calming presence. The child of the seas knew that she was luckier than most though. Having the ability to communicate with her Dad thanks to her phone and having seen him far more than once made her part of an exclusive club that left most half-bloods looking upon with her envy. Which was understandable when many of them went their whole, usually short, lives unclaimed or without even getting any acknowledgement from their godly parent.

Heck, she'd even met some of their own parents more often than they had.

A twinge of guilt ran through her before she banished it.

"We could ask Chiron later when they return to Camp." Su suggested, her finger drawing circles over Rhode's abdomen.

Rhode giggled a bit at the touch and smiled down at her, "I'm sure. Chiron does like to gossip like an old maid."

Su gave off her own own bout of giggles.

"Sounds like a plan, we'll I.M. him after dinner." The taller girl said, her own hand tickling the other girl's side.

* * *

After a light dinner together, during which Rhode had enjoyed a game a footsie with Su all the while, the two demigoddesses departed to I.M. Chiron somewhere private. They had asked Lee to come along, but he was busy with his mother at the time.

As usual of late, finding somewhere private to have a conversation via I.M. wasn't easy. Out of options, the couple eventually retreated to _their_ cubicle in the second floor girl's toilet. It was a tight fit as usual, but they'd had plenty of experience with that.

"Yo, Chiron," Rhode greeted her mentor cheerfully as his image firmed up in the rainbow she'd conjured.

"Good evening, Chiron." Su offered more politely, even as she nudged the daughter of the sea's ribs in rebuke for her poor manners.

"Good evening, Rhode, Su." The ancient Trainer of Heroes returned tiredly.

The girls exchanged a worried glance at that. Their mentor rarely allowed signs of weakness like that to show, always choosing instead to maintain an appearance of strength in all situations as an encouragement to his charges. For him to be so open with his exhaustion now, was not a good sign.

"Chiron, you okay?" The taller girl asked, her voice full of concern. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Rhode."

Both girls frowned at the deflection.

"Are you sure, Chiron?"

The centaur mustered up a smile and nodded. "Please do not worry about me. I have everything under control."

"And what exactly needs to be under control?" The child of the Big Three asked with a quirked brow. "Did something happen during the field trip to Olympus?"

"I'm sorry Rhode, but I cannot tell you anything about what happened on Olympus." The centaur replied apologetically.

That sent alarm bells ringing in her head. It had to be super serious if Chiron was refusing to talk about it altogether. What could possibly have happened? Did her dad insult Zeus? Was it bad enough that he was threatening war?

Rhode's mind ran wild with the possibilities. Each worse than the last.

"Why not?" Su asked, her face scrunched up with worry.

The trainer didn't answer her, but kept his eyes on the child of Poseidon.

"Rhode, I need you to promise me you will stay in Hogwarts or at least the wizarding world as long as you can. Even when the summer rolls around. Do you understand?"

"Chiron, what's going-"

"Do you understand?" He demanded of her with uncharacteristic authority.

Rhode bristled with defiance at the demand but she held her tongue. If Chiron was worried, so should she.

"Yes. I understand, Chiron."

The centaur seemed to relax slightly at this, "Good, good. Su dear, please keep an eye on her?"

"Of course!" Su chirped brightly and hugged Rhode fiercely.

"Excellent. If anything arises contact me immediately. Stay safe and keep out of trouble."

He ended the I.M. before they could even try to wrestle any more information out of him.

Rhode looked down at Su with a worried expression, "What do you think has his beard in a twist?"

"I-It could be anything. I hope everything is alright." The Chinese girl fretted nervously.

Rhode's lips repeatedly pecked the crown of her head, trying to calm the girl down. The scent of her hair certainly did that for Rhode.

"Don't worry. We're stuck here anyway so it's not like it's our problem at the moment."

Su squirmed at the butterfly kisses, but looked happy at the attention.

"I guess you're right." The shorter girl agreed, even as a playful smirk spread across her lips. "But I don't think I'm going to calm down with just words."

"What do you mean?"

"Well~," Su said teasingly as she pushed Rhode against the stall wall. "It's still a while till curfew and if I want to sleep well tonight, I'm thinking I need something to distract me."

Rhode blushed lightly as she began to catch her girlfriend's drift.

"So needy."

Su lips latched onto her neck as the girl mumbled, "More like insatiable for you."

* * *

In a thoroughly non-descript office, inside a completely unassuming building located in a unremarkable small town, Paradigm was busy going through a small pile of paperwork behind a completely ordinary desk.

The faded god's day of routine paperwork was interrupted however as a stream of golden particles flowed in through the space below the office door and coalesced into the shape of a petite young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who couldn't have been older than eleven and dressed in a simple white sundress and carrying a crimson clutch.

"You really went overboard with the notice-me-not wards, didn't you Paradigm?" The girl said as she looked around the utterly average office.

The one eyed man just shrugged as he put his paperwork aside for the moment.

"Greetings to you too, Tanya."

"Pleasantries, really?" The girl said with a amused grin. "Well, if you insist. Hello, Paradigm."

Without waiting for his response, the blonde barreled ahead. "Do you have my share from the sale of Scamander's collection?"

Not in the least bit offended with the girl's bluntness, he was well used to it by now, he merely opened a drawer on the desk, unlocked the safe within and pulled out a bag that he promptly handed to the girl.

"It's all there. Minus my commission, of course." The faded god said with a smile shared by many a slimey business owner that had scored a major deal.

The girl just nodded and stuffed the bag into her clutch whose inherent magic allowed it to store the much larger moneybag.

"Now that the preliminary transaction is done and I've proven my trustworthiness _again_ ," Paradigm said with a long suffering sigh. "Are you willing to make the final transaction yet?"

The girl's response was to pull out a vial from her purse. It glowed a brilliant gold and would have inspired awe and respect from any mortal who laid eyes on it. Neither Paradigm nor Tanya paid it any notice beyond its value as an item for sale.

"One bottled essence of Scamander." The girl announced with a smirk.

Paradigm smiles and takes the vial while handing her another bag, this one even bigger than the first which a smirking Tanya accepted and proceeded to feed to her magical purse.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, godslayer." The faded god said as he took a moment to admire his newest acquisition. One that perhaps would soon be his newest client or failing that a source of nourishment to help his existing clients recover a bit of their strength.

While he was busy looking his purchase over, Tanya got up to leave.

Seeing this, Paradigm quickly gestured for her to wait a moment even as he hastily secured the vial in his safe.

"Tell me, Tanya, are you aware of what's going on lately?"

"You stopped me to ask such a stupid question? Really?" The girl scoffed. "Of course I know. You'd need to be deliberately blind and deaf to not notice that Kronos is making his first big move in his new bid to return to power."

"Then-"

Ignoring Paradigm's attempt to speak, the girl continued tauntingly. "You even supplied the gods intel on Kronos' movements, didn't you? Not that it helped them to so much as slow down his plans."

The girl let loose a deranged laugh at this, one that sent chills down Paradigm's spine.

He did not let his unease with the godslayer show however, his pride would never allow it. Instead, while keeping up the facade of being unaffected, he nodded and proceeded to ask the question that she had stopped him from asking earlier.

"And which side will you take in this coming war?"

"Neither." The girl said, as she collected herself though her face was still twisted with malicious glee. "God or Titan, neither will be free from my wrath. After what the divinities have done to me, I will offer none of them reprieve as they drown in my fury."

Paradigm shuddered at the insane look of hatred on Tanya's face.

Thankfully for his nerves, it seemed that the terrifying girl had managed to have her fill of scaring him to within an inch of his immortal life. As with one last evil laugh, she transformed into a stream of golden particles and teleported away.

 _By Chaos, that girl scares me._ The faded god thought as he shakily opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a bottle of nectar wine. After dealing with the dreaded godslayer, he needed a stiff drink.

* * *

New Year's Day had finally came to those holed up in Hogwarts. However, the enthusiasm for the arrival of 2006 was lackluster at best. Noticing this and seeing this as a perfect opportunity to raise morale for the occupants in the castle, the Ministry came up with yet another of its many harebrained schemes.

Namely that a compulsory ball was to be held. Nominally, it was supposed to be a means to maintain a sense of normality. In truth, this Ministry organized event was more likely designed to remind everyone that they were in charge of the castle.

Not that Rhode cared why the event was being held. What really annoyed the daughter of Poseidon was the fact that she was being forced to attend. After the incident in October, her tolerance of the wizards and witches had deteriorated to the point where she ignored most people who bothered her.

Especially her growing cult!

Thankfully, she wouldn't be forced to dress up for the occasion. If she had… Well, there was a high likelihood that the castle would have frozen over.

Or maybe not, Su was proving to be an incredibly calming influence on her. Her kisses were very distracting after all~.

As she twirled Su on the dance floor, Rhode couldn't help but concede that despite everything the Ministry had at least managed to create a nice atmosphere for their ball. She enjoyed the upbeat music that was being played by enchanted instruments. No doubt it was supposed to try and drive some cheer into the magical folk. Whether or not it was working was hard to tell.

Not that it mattered to her as she obeyed the whims of her little Chinese Princess and shifted to a tender dance as a slow song started up.

Many of their peers, boys and girls alike, looked upon them with envy. Though most of the gazes were upon Su, who looked positively radiant in the child of Poseidon's eyes. With her girlfriend in her arms, Rhode found it easy to ignore the looks. Which is what allowed her to smile at Su with all the joy of knowing that she was dancing with the prettiest girl in the room.

Resting her hands on those nice hips of hers, with Su's slim arms hanging from her neck and their foreheads connected tenderly, they rocked back and forth to the music. Their eyes were locked in a silent conversation, telling each other how lucky they felt. With of course the added promise of some risque fun later on to celebrate the new year.

In that moment Rhode felt… at peace. In a way that she'd not been in a long time.

 _Gods be good if it stays that way._ She silently prayed for this moment to never end.

Sadly, her horrendous bad luck took that moment to spite her.

A thunderous boom roared from outside. The castle shuddering as all the residents screamed and shouted in fear.

Immediately, the half-blood couple let their instincts and training take over as they pushed through the confused crowd to look out the nearest window. They joined a cluster of the castle's braver residents in watching as bright flashes came from the muggles camp and explosions blossomed throughout the farming plots and the lake.

Su gasped at the sight, no doubt mortified at all her hard work being ruined.

"T-They're salting it, Rhode. They're trying to starve us." She shuddered in fright.

Grimacing, the child of the seas said, "Yeah and they're poisoning the lake too."

"They must have been waiting for us to let our guard down to take out our food supply." Lee noted with a worried frown as he joined them.

"Or maybe they just got tired of waiting us out." Rhode pointed out as she gestured towards the muggles' camp in the distance where a handful of mechanical giants like the one Riddhe used last year loomed over the Hogwarts perimeter.

"Those weren't there this afternoon."

As if to prove the point, the giants leveled their massive guns and started tearing up the fields of crops even more.

The sight had the wizards paling and even Rhode felt her blood run cold at the destruction the machines caused with their _gigantic machine guns_.

 _There's no way the wizards can counter those._ Rhode observed as she gulped. _And I don't think I could either._

* * *

A knock came from Rhode's dormitory door, thanks to the daughter of the sea's finely honed senses she woke immediately at the unexpected noise. She pushed away her duvet and jumped to her feet, ready to meet anything that might come through to the door. Instead of a threat however the door opened to reveal the Seventh Year Prefect with tears running down her face.

Immediately spotting that Rhode was awake, the older girl addressed her. "Evans, you're awake. Good. Could you wake your dorm mates and make sure everyone is down in the Common Room in ten minutes, dressed in something decent? Professor Sinistra has something important to tell us."

Without waiting for Rhode to reply, the girl closed the door and presumably left.

The demigoddess frowned, upset that she'd been left to do the grunt work. She was sorely tempted to ignore the Prefect and just go back to bed. But the tears on the older girl's face stopped her. Whatever news their Head of House was about to announce must have been a big deal to get that kind of response from her.

Sighing in frustration, Rhode did what she was told and went about waking her sleeping dorm mates.

A few minutes later, Rhode joined them and what seemed like their whole House in the Common Room looking at Sinistra expectantly as she stood on a raised platform she must have conjured. The professor looked disheveled and exhausted, but somehow seemed to nevertheless radiate a sense of calm. Though something about it seemed off to Rhode, almost as if she was just putting on a mask for the students.

"I'm sorry for waking everyone," Sinistra said solemnly. "But I have important news to share with all of you. It is my duty to inform you that the Ministry has surrendered unconditionally to Her Majesty's government and their allies."

This was met with a stunned silence by the collected entirety of Gryffindor House. This lasted for only a moment however before the lions exploded into a cacophony of noise. Some cried out in despair, while others gave relieved sighs at the end of the siege, others gave angry shouts at what seemed to them to be the Ministry's cowardly surrender.

Rhode however just shrugged and turned to head back to bed. The announcement wasn't that big a deal for her. Seriously, did the wizards honestly think that the outcome could have been any different? Their surrender was only a matter of time. Sure, she was pleased that the siege was ended but it really wasn't worth getting up gods knows how early in the morning to learn.

Stifling a yawn, the daughter of Poseidon headed into her dorm and left her hysterical housemates to their own devices.

* * *

What followed the surrender was a day of seemingly endless tedium as Rhode and all the castle's inhabitants were screened by the muggles.

Most were thankfully released after having their wands confiscated. Practically all the Ministry personnel was arrested, including Su's father. Something that naturally left her girlfriend feeling greatly distraught as she stood there helpless watching as her father was led away by the muggle soldiers.

Seeing that Rhode went out of her way to talk to one of the army officers. He was very forthcoming and readily explained why they were detaining of the Ministry Personnel. Having heard what he had to say, Rhode had sought Su out to share the reassuring news. She found her in the library huddled up in an out of the way corner hugging herself.

"Su, I've got good news!"

"Rhode?" Su asked as she moved to the side to let the daughter of Poseidon take a seat next to her.

Gladly accepting the invitation Su offered, Rhode settled down. Immediately, her girlfriend nestled into Rhode's taller frame while she automatically let her arms wrap around the Chinese girl's waist.

"I just spoke to one of those army guys and he told me they're only holding the Ministry guys to interview them. The only ones they are going to do anything with are those who committed a crime."

"Do you think Father will be okay?" Su sniffled, tears pooling in her soil black eyes.

A finger brushed them away as Rhode's hug tightened. Her lips pecked the crown of her head, "Su, your dad is a good man. I'm sure he'll be free after an interview or two."

"I just-! What if I never see him again?!" The daughter of Demeter cried out as she buried her face into Rhode's bosom.

The petite girl shook from how hard she was crying and the sight caused Rhode's heart to ache at seeing how frightened the girl was for her mortal parent.

"Hey," The daughter of Poseidon said softly, "I told you. It's going to be okay. I promise, alright?"

Su just nodded her head up and down, taking comfort from her loving embrace.

* * *

Later that night in the Gryffindor Common Room, the students had gathered once more at the call of their head of house.

"Students please come collect you wands." The Professor said as she gestured to a cart full of wands being guarded by a squad of muggle soldiers and most intimidatingly a man in a suit but leaned on a staff that glowed with shimmering runes and literally radiated impressive magical power.

The man cleared his throat as he said, "Students, as we return your wands to you know that the Trace on them has been modified. It is now a permanent part of your wand and will send us alerts if certain spells are used."

Murmurs broke out at that as Lee asked, "What spells are flagged?"

"A list will be presented to each of you tomorrow morning for you to learn along with other guidelines on the acceptable use of spells."

More murmurs broke out

"Professor!" Lee shouted over the noise of the crowd.

Sinistra fired a bang from her wand to quiet the crowd before turning to Lee. "Go ahead, Jordan."

"Thanks, Professor. Just want to know whether _you_ know what spells will be flagged?"

"Apologies Jordan, but I'm not sure myself." The Professor shook her head sadly, before turning to the man with the staff. "Lieutenant, perhaps you could elaborate?"

"Giving you a list now would take too long." The man said with an apologetic shake of his head. "Just take a look at the guidelines that we'll provide tomorrow, there'll be a list attached."

Lee frowned at that, clearly dissatisfied by that answer.

A few more students asked questions, which were answered by either Sinistra or the Lieutenant.

Rhode however had little interest in what would happen to the Wizarding World from now onwards. After having to endure this whole siege fiasco, she was determined to be out of this pathetic excuse for a society. So she really didn't give a damn as to what was about to happen to it from now onwards.

"That will be all students. You may return to your dorms." Sinistra announced after a question and answer session that lasted the better part of thirty minutes.

Rhode released a sigh of relief.

_Finally, I can have some sense of normalcy._

* * *

The next day, after the siege had been lifted, the packed castle had finally been relieved of many of its occupants as the hundreds of refugees left the castle. Many of whom had done so after being finally reunited with members of their families they had been separated from by their mad rush into the castle at the start of the siege.

Though for Rhode, the person who arrived for her had her heart swell up with trepidation.

At the threshold of the New Great Hall was Jack, his icy blue eyes scanning the hall. No doubt in the hope of finding her.

The daughter of Poseidon didn't know what to feel at the moment. On one hand, she was with Su. On the other hand, Jack still needed her even if they had a brutal break-up a few months ago.

Her head felt like it was swimming in a whirlpool.

As to what her heart was feeling? It was even worse.

The son of snow's eyes brightened as soon as they landed on her and he confidently walked over to her table where Su and Lee were also seated.

The daughter of Demeter shot him a venomous look in her eyes at his approach. He caught her gaze and his own eyes narrowed as well.

The white haired youth looked away from her girlfriend as he smiled at Rhode, "Hey, glad you guys are alright."

"Jack…" She greeted in return, though her voice was uncertain.

"Look, I've had a lot of time to think and I was jerk. A massive insecure one." He said, his hand rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness. And rather unceremoniously skipping all the pleasantries and getting straight to the point, thus not giving her a chance at all to gather her thoughts.

"Yes. You were." Su snapped at him, "She was in tears, you arse."

"And I'm sorry for that! But I was talking to Rhode, not you Li."

"Hmph!" The Chinese girl huffed.

Jack returned his eyes to Rhode, who winced inside at the sadness in his eyes. It was like a vice grip on her heart. She couldn't stand to see it, it reminded her too much of how utterly broken he looked after he learned about the truth of his birth.

"Can we have another chance, Rhode? Please. I know I messed up, but I'm not willing to give up on us." He asked her, walking up to her and placing his hand on top of her own. An act that presumed a level of closeness between them that Rhode honestly didn't know still existed.

Rhode's heart pounded even more strongly in her chest as the crossroad appeared in front of her. Silently, she cursed Jack for doing this to her.

 _Damn it! Why is he putting me on the spot?_ Rhode thought to herself as she desperately tried to calm herself down to try to carefully consider her decision.

Her eyes turned to Su, who looked greatly upset. Nevertheless she simply pointed at Rhode, clearing saying one thing.

 _It's up to me._ The child of the seas thought as her eyes fluttered shut. On one hand, she was happy with Su. She made her feel special, more so than Jack ever had. Unlike being with the boy, when she was together with Su there was no need to always be on her toes. Su didn't have a smoldering fuse like the son of Khione after all.

Yet, on the other hand Jack _needed_ her. Gods knew what would happen to him if no one looked after him. He was too broken to be left alone. He needed someone to make sure he was okay, that he wasn't overwhelmed by all the bad things that had occurred to him lately. That and she needed to be the one to do that, because no one else could do it. No one else was in a position to do so like she could.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at Jack.

"I-I'm willing to try again, Jack."

In the corner of her eyes, she spotted Su's face pale and transform into a look of utter devastation. Like Rhode's words had ripped her heart out and stomped on it.

Standing up, the daughter of Demeter walked out of the Great Hall. The only sign of her sadness was the shaking of her shoulders.

 _Why do I have to be such a damn hero? What about my happiness?_ Rhode bitterly thought as she saw Lee jump up to follow Su, but not without first shooting her a disgusted and angry look.

She wilted at the look and she blinked away a few tears.

Oblivious to all this, Jack looked ecstatic.

Smothering a growl in her throat, Rhode resisted the urge to smack him. The only sign of her anger she allowed, that he completely failed to notice, were the balling of her fists.

"Hey, why don't we go on a date? Like we did last year?"

Rhode nodded in reluctant agreement.

Even as feelings of disgust towards herself built up within her at betraying Su like this.

* * *

The two had decided to head for Hogsmeade.

Despite the muggle occupation of it, the buildings were surprisingly intact and it was bustling with students. No doubt happy to finally be able to leave the castle. The shops were open, sales and items were being advertised by the various store owners and employees to entice shoppers to patronise their establishments. It was almost as if everything had gone back to normal.

Except all the shops seemed to be accepting Pounds now. There were also quite a few new shops now that seemed geared towards selling stuff for the personnel stationed at the brand new military base on the outskirt of town. A base which deployed dozens of its personnel to patrol the town.

Rhode and Jack walked the streets arm in arm, the chilly air not even bothering the two. Rhode wouldn't lie, the warmth he radiated was nice. It however was a far cry from the lovely feeling she'd had when with Su.

Rhode banished those thoughts quickly. Dwelling on it wouldn't help her aching heart. Instead, she stared up at Jack and saw the happiness in his eyes. She forced a smile onto her face and tried to make it real, to feel the same happiness that he so obviously felt.

Don't get her wrong. She was pleased that Jack was happy. After everything he deserved as much happiness as he could get and she was proud of being able to help him feel such joy. Nevertheless, she couldn't bring herself to feel the same happiness at them getting back together, not when she knew she had given up the happiness she had enjoyed when she was with Su to make it happen.

"So what do you want to do? I remember you talked about a nice tavern here."

"The Hogshead. We could get some butter beer."

"I remember that drink! It was like a better type of root beer."

Rhode smirked, "One of the few things left I like about this place."

He frowned at her, looking worried, "Did it get worse after we… last talked?"

Oh, it was a talk now? She bristled inwardly but quelled her anger the best she could. Best not think about it.

"Just after all this bullshit I'm just going to take the OWLs and leave. I'm done playing the savior here. With the military taking charge, they should be able to handle the magical world if any crazy stuff happens. I have enough problems with monsters trying to kill me as is. I don't need mortals trying too."

His hand tightened around hers. Rhode knew what he wanted and she hesitated. It took her a deep breath and brutally suppressing the sense of betrayal she was feeling, before she was able to entwine her fingers with his. This brought a smile to his face and he nodded in agreement to her earlier suggestion and they turned to head towards Hogshead.

The tavern was packed with students. The smell of fresh food wafted the air and the whole building resounded with the happy voices of patrons celebrating the end of the months long conflict. The cheer was infectious as the couple found a free table. Rhode couldn't feel it though and barely managed a polite smile.

Their orders were taken and they were given hot mugs of butterbeer while they waited.

Jack began trying to chat her up and Rhode played along. It was not easy however as the whole time she couldn't help but feel dirty, like she was nothing more than a cheater. She ignored it though, refusing to allow her feelings to undermine her efforts to help the hurt son of Khione.

Their food arrived and the hot meal was large and hearty looking. After living off fish and stew for the past few months, it looked as good as ambrosia to her. Sadly, Rhode had no appetite. Her stomach was churning too badly with her unease of being a on date with Jack to feel any hunger and she only succeeded in forcing herself to down a few bites.

Not that Jack noticed as he droned on with his largely one-sided conversation.

After paying for the meal, the couple left to enjoy a walk around the snow covered town.

Again Jack made small talk and Rhode tried her best to play ball. Despite the pangs in her heart, she admitted it was a pleasant date. She was just thinking that and they were was heading back to the castle when a bank of Mist rolled in. Immediately, they both tensed.

"What's going on?" He murmured to her as he pulled out his shepherd's crook.

Rhode was tense and held her spyglass in her hand, "I don't know…"

She was just thumbing the button that would transform Spellbound into its true form when a bolt of rainbow colored lightning surged down from on high and struck Jack and her dead on. Rhode screamed in agony as the electricity roared through her body literally cooking her alive.

Lying on the ground barely alive, Rhode painfully moved her hands towards the belt buckle that would activate her Pallas Armor. As she struggled, she looked up to see what had attacked and in the parting clouds saw a small army of beings hovering over her.

At its head was a beautiful young woman whose body looked translucent like a ghost. Her hair was the oddest thing about her. It was long and randomly shifted through the colors of the rainbow while rippling without a breeze to be felt.

Around her a horde of feral looking harpies circled, looking eager for half-blood flesh.

What was most imposing however was how multicolored lightning forked through the clouds above her and seemed to be coalescing into a single massive bolt in the woman's right palm.

The sight had Rhode's hair stand on ends and set fear coursing through her veins. She couldn't survive another bolt. Thankfully, she finally managed to brush her hand across her belt buckle and just before the bolt slammed down on her, the Pallas Armor formed around her.

Even through the divine armor the pain of being hit by a lightning bolt was so intense that Rhode almost wished she was dead just to escape the agony. Despite that however the former symbol of power saved her from receiving any more major injuries even as it worked rapidly to heal her wounds.

The ghostly woman seemed to notice her bolt wasn't as effective or maybe it was just the sight of the Pallas Armor, but either way she responded by frowning and floating backwards through the ranks of Harpies and gesturing towards Rhode.

Immediately, dozens of the monstrous winged women broke formation and dived towards Rhode screeching their intent to tear her to pieces and suck the marrow from her bones.

With her wounds healing thanks to her armor's healing powers, Rhode felt the agony she had been feeling ebbing away slightly. It was still intense as hell, but at least it was not debilitating anymore.

As the first harpy closed, the daughter of Poseidon ran it through with her trident even as she staggered to her feet. They were relentless though and Rhode cut through dozens of them as they tried to swarm her. The only thing that allowed her to survive the brutal onslaught was her armor which allowed her to weather the vicious claws the spirits sported without injury even as it healed her and steadily restored her strength.

Twirling, thrusting, slashing, hacking and clubbing with her polearm, she killed her way through the seemingly endless swarm of harpies. Doing the best she could, Rhode scanned the battlefield for Jack. It took ten seconds and many dead harpies before the scion of the seas spotted her boyfriend lying a short distance away from her looking half dead. His clothes had practically all burned away and his exposed skin was littered with burns that still smoked. His breathing was shallow and he was thankfully unconscious.

_Shit! Gotta help him!_

Pushing through the relentless attacks, Rhode forced her way to Jack's side. At which point, much to her surprise the winged women seemed to back off. Frowning in worry about what this meant, she nevertheless wasn't willing to look the gift horse in its mouth.

She scanned him quickly, noting how badly he was hurt. Digging into her side pouch, she pulled out some of her ambrosia. It was rather crispy, but thankfully godly food was pretty durable.

Stuffing it into his mouth, Rhode stroked his throat to help him swallow.

"Come on, be okay. Be okay!" She shouted in distress. He wasn't healing fast enough to her tastes, so she went for her water bottle, opening it and releasing the water so she could heal him.

The moment she gathered it up between her hands, something strange happened.

Sea green eyes widened as the water turned into vapor, drifting away from her as her mouth opened in surprise.

"W-What?"

"Yeah, no water for you, Ariel." The woman tutted as rainbow-like energy gathered in her hands, "By the way, name's Electra."

"Iris' mom…" The half-blood muttered, wondering why she was even here attacking her.

"Bingo! And might I say, you pissed off the wrong people this time, Fish Princess."

"...Zeus." Rhode ground her teeth. Standing up, she pointed her trident at the nymph, "What did I do huh? What did I damn well do this time?!"

The rainbow colored nymph shrugged, "Frankly, nothing. I'm just acting on orders from the King. After all, he's been after you for years. Now? He's got the perfect excuse to knock you off. Nothing personal though."

"It's pretty fucking personal to me!"

Almost sympathetic, the powerful nymph replied. "Fair enough. Guess, I better explain things to you before you die. It's the polite thing to do. See, when you and Zeus' girl were traveling together, your dads had a ceasefire of sorts to not off the other's kid. But then his kid got turned into a tree, and he's been sour over you outliving his kid ever since. It's been eating him for years. Angry that he couldn't touch you even though his kid got taken off the table. But now? Well, he's got the perfect excuse to fix that."

Rhode didn't even know such a deal existed. She wanted to ask more, but banished those thoughts away and glared at her. "Whatever. So what are my grievous charges by our _holy_ and _wise_ King?"

"Because he says so!"

"Ah," Rhode nodded, "so irrational demands as usual."

"Pretty much. Yep." Electra smiled as she aimed the rainbow energy at her, "So anyways thanks for stupidly doing nothing while I charged up. Taste the rainbow!"

At her words, the energy she'd been gathering shot forth like a laser. It carved into the earth, forcing Rhode to grab Jack to leap out of the way. Cradling him, she used her armor wearing body to shield his battered form. It was the only thing that saved him from being vaporized as the laser clipped them, its power somehow seeping through the Pallas Armor to leave a nasty set of burns on Rhode's back.

Burns that stung terribly as she rolled on the ground to bleed off the momentum of her desperate leap. Once more thanking the gods for having given her the ancient armor, Rhode pushed herself to her feet even as it got to work healing her latest injury.

"You actually managed to survive that?" Electra gasped. "I'm surprised. And actually impressed."

Rhode ignored the nymph, instead choosing to carefully put Jack's body down on the ground. Once she was done, she finally looked up to glare murderously at the nymph.

"Though seriously, I'm trying to kill you here and all you seem to care about is your boytoy."

"He isn't a toy!" She snapped furiously, a chill washing over the area.

Electra smiled cruelly, "So he's a combatant then? Sounds perfect to me. In fact, you know what? Daughters! Tear _him_ to pieces!"

At her command, a large flock - there must have been almost a hundred of them - of harpies broke from the swarm circling Electra to dive at Jack.

" _Sagitta Infernum_." Rhode snarled as arcane arrows rained from the tip of her trident and pierced the incoming horde of harpies. Gold dust wisped through the wind as a rainbow assortment of feathers fluttered to the ground.

Her spell didn't however take out all the harpies and she was once more forced onto the defensive as she stood over Jack's hapless body.

_At this rate, I won't be able to counterattack at all!_

"This is great!" Electra laughed maliciously from on high. "You're so utterly fixated on protecting that idiot boy that you're basically a sitting duck."

"Jack isn't an idiot!"

"Isn't he? You do realize that the only reason we're able to attack you here in the Wizarding World is because of him, right? _He_ violated the treaty and we're here to fix that problem." The nymph said even as rainbow lightning crackled around her as whatever new attack she was preparing began to reach its peak.

"No." Rhode whispered in horror as her grip on her trident loosened for a moment.

"Ah, don't cry. Makes me actually feel kinda bad! And I'm more a carefree kinda gal." Electra said with obvious joy at her opponent's predicament. "Oh! And thanks for being stupid again. Rainbow Railgun!"

Suddenly, the harpies transformed into sharp gusts of winds that buffeted Rhode and knocked her off balance. This left her completely open as a beam of rainbow light slammed into her like a freight train and sent her flying. Everything along the path of the beam was scorched or caught fire, thankfully this seemed to exclude Jack as the harpies transformation trick seemed to have moved her out of his immediate vicinity.

Apparently Electra wasn't as heartless as she seemed.

Now if only she would apply some of that sympathy to Rhode. Whatever that last attack had been, it had done quite a number on her. It had made it so even the tiniest attempt at moving led to her whole body erupting in roaring pain.

She nevertheless struggled to her feet, only to be horrified as she did so when she noted that the breastplate of the Pallas Armor was now sporting a hole the size of a grapefruit.

"That's cyclopes workmanship for ya," Electra commented airily even as she began gathering rainbow energy once more. "Getting hit by a divine railgun and still manages to protect its wearer? They really do good work."

Spite filled her as she glared at the sky.

Fuck this psycho nymph.

Pointing her trident at Electra, Rhode began firing spells at her. She whispered her spells as hatefully as she could while mist wafted from her body and hoarfrost formed all around her.

" _Sagitta Infernum_. _Bombarda. Bombarda Maxima. Scorpionem Seras. Defodio. Sectumsempra."_

Electra just laughed at Rhode's display of defiant anger as her daughters simply swarmed around her in a protective screen that soaked up the daughter of Poseidon's magical barrage at the cost of their own lives.

"You've got to do better than that, liddle widdle fishy."

Fuck the sky. Fuck the world.

Fuck that sniveling _bitch_ excuse of a king.

"At least be man enough to do it yourself, coward." Rhode hissed with as much venom as she could muster.

"Why would he bother? You're too much of a small fry for him." Electra taunted even as she fired off her latest attack.

"Just as small as his dick." The daughter of Poseidon spat, even as a beam of rainbow light shot her way. Rhode tried to deflect it with Spellbound, hoping against hope that her weapon could somehow manage that, but inches from contact the beam split into hundreds of smaller lasers that curved around her trident to burn into her flesh.

Suddenly Rhode loss all control over her body and she keeled over like her strings had been cut.

_What the-? No way! She cut all my tendons in one hit? Fucking bullshit!_

"And now to bury the poor dear." Electra said, sounding sickly sweet. "Daughters, would you do the honors?"

On the very doors of death, Rhode could do nothing as she saw a large group of harpies fly off and return with a huge boulder grasped between their collective claws.

Rhode felt as though her life was flashing before her eyes.

Her cruel life with the Dursleys, escaping them in New York City, living on the streets.

Meeting Thalia, learning to live, having family.

Meeting Luke, meeting Annabeth, meeting Grover and all her other friends. Especially Jack… And Su… Oh! Su would be devastated if she died… Even more heartbroken than she was…

A tear rolled down Rhode's cheek at that, but her mind gave her no respite as it showed her how she was always fighting and fighting and fighting. No matter what was sent her way, she was always fighting.

Despite how hopeless the situation was… Rhode wasn't willing to leave quietly.

"Fuck all of you! You don't even care what's coming! I am Rhode Evans! Daughter of Poseidon! I am the calm before the storm! And I say go fuck yourself, bint!"

"Full of yourself, aren't you? Bye bye, Rhode Evans. You weren't fun to play with at all." Electra sneered. "Weakling."

With that, she waved a hand at her daughters who promptly dropped the massive boulder.

Just as she was about to be squashed, Rhode's vision turned pure gold.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done and done. Thanks to the wonderful team of Nameless and Axios as always.
> 
> And with that, Book 2 is officially done. What a trial huh? Huh? Man I am punny. So let's start our ending AN. Nameless, you first!
> 
> Nameless: Just wanted to point out to any nitpickers out there that the mobile suits weren't actually equipped with machine guns scaled up to their size. Rhode is just ignorant of the difference between a assault rifle in automatic mode and an actual machine gun. Trust me, as someone who has seen the difference first hand, it is quite noticeable.
> 
> Now, I'm sure all of you are questioning Rhode's sanity with her relationship status. First, I just want to say I want her to feel confused on what to do. Which I hope we succeeded in doing. Second, Rhode is a hero who is willing to sacrifice her happiness to help someone. Jack just so happens to be that person. It's not like she hates him, he's attractive and fun in his own way, but Rhode connects better with Su due to how sista the two are with each other. They just click. Know that we will be playing with this some more in the next book. Love triangles are fun to do.
> 
> Nameless: Now, that was quite the climactic battle. At least we hoped it was. Sure, it had Rhode being utterly owned but that's par for the course when the divine beings start getting really serious with demigods. E4E and I actually had a little debate about this while writing up the fight. And we concluded that while Electra didn't have access to her full power thanks to the Ancient Laws, she did have access to her full tactical acumen with no reason to hold back (like divinites normally do). Hence, with millenia more experience and a ton more power (even if its output is limited), there was no way she'd not utterly dominate Rhode. This is all part of our attempt to point out that the divine beings should really be a lot more badass then Riordan generally seems to make them.
> 
> Now that we've got the heavy stuff out of the way, let's chat about the Ministry getting their collective asses ripped off and sold back to them. First, fuck the Ministry, in the ass. They are terrible, self righteous, and my god need all the humbling they can get.
> 
> Nameless: They deserve it. We've said it once and we'll say it again, Rowling really dropped the ball when she conjured up the political side of her Wizarding World. Even a few minutes of critical study and you'll find that the muggles (which must have an advantage since they rule the world, not the wizards) would never tolerate the Ministry's existence. Not when so many of its policies put muggles in danger or at least disregard their safety.
> 
> Alright, before we close this book I want to address the small SJW accusations we've been getting with our pairings. And I will say this now, that is not what we were aiming for...we just like hot lesbian couples. I mean, it's not like we have a lemon omake or anything *wink wink*. Mainly, we have shown the opposite of SJW-ism by advocating strength of arms (while SJWs call for pacifistic, demilitarization), capitalism (SJWs tend to be communists) and traditional moral values (SJWs believe in moral relativism) across our stories. So really, besides our willingness to allow people to choose who they want to sleep with as seen by the sexual preferences of our characters, we haven't done much of anything else. So yeah, that's about it. Thanks for sticking with us this book as we did some experimenting. We hope you are pleased with the results.
> 
> Axios, have any words to share?
> 
> Axios: Just that it's been a pleasure beta'ing this story. Next time I may even be more active and do my own (more complete) commentary!
> 
> And with that, you all know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps until the next book!


	21. Omake: Good News

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter**

**The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials**

**Sequel Announcement Special**

**Omake: Good News**

**Beta: ShadowofAxios**

* * *

A few months after the Siege of Hogwarts, Ginny Granger was carrying a tea set and a serving of biscuits she'd prepared for her wife and herself, and thank Professor Snape's advice and the old Ministry's greed for money during the Siege for their happy state of affairs, as they prepared to slog through yet another all night study session so they could prepare themselves to take the theoretical portion of the Organization's entrance exam.

As she stepped out of the kitchen and passed the living room on the way up the stairs of the Granger home, Hermione's mother, Michelle, teasingly called out to her daughter-in-law.

"Honestly dear, you're spoiling that girl." The older woman informed her. "You know I got you to dress like that as a joke, right?"

Ginny could only smile in reply, "It's no issue. I'm happy to do it."

Michelle chuckled good naturedly in reply and her husband, Ginny's father-in-law Wallace, just shook his head in fond exasperation.

Offering them a polite smile, she continued on her way. Her in-laws were well meaning but they didn't, couldn't, understand how seriously she meant her words.

Ginny truly was happy to spoil her Hermione. To do anything and everything that her wife wanted. It was the least that Ginny could do for the woman she loved. Especially after she'd stepped up to become her protector and the respectful caregiver she'd never had before, even if it meant giving up things like her pitiful self-respect and freedoms. Not that Hermione demanded that of her. At least not much. Not outside of the bedroom at least.

If they did, they might've been horrified like her own parents had been. Like she said, they wouldn't understand, just like her family hadn't, how Ginny's experience with Riddle's Diary had broken her. How it had left her _needing_ orders to simply function! How it had been Hermione who had seen that and stepped forward to offer her the guidance she'd needed then and now.

As she reached the door to their room, Hermione's old childhood bedroom, Ginny used her shoulder to push it open and was surprised to find her wife wasn't studying as she'd thought but was instead reading a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

* * *

Hermione heard Ginny push the door to the room open and looked up from the newspaper she had been reading while waiting for her to glance at her wife and blinked in surprise at what the redhead was wearing

"Put those down," she ordered automatically even as she processed the sight of her wife dressed in a French maid outfit. "And why are you dressed like that?"

Putting the tray of tea and snacks down, Ginny turned to Hermione and offered her a sheepish grin that almost, but not quite, hid the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "What? I was serving tea. I wanted to dress the part~"

"Honestly, Ginny." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're my wife, not my maid."

"Is that an order, Hermione?" Ginny asked, cheekily.

"Yes," Hermione hissed in fond exasperation at her wife's games. For all that Ginny practically needed orders and her guidance to do the simplest of tasks at times, she could be quite the rascal in getting said commands.

"I guess I should change then," Ginny said as she moved to undress right then and there.

"Stop," Hermione said hastily. "If you strip now, it'll lead to things and as much as we'd both enjoy it, we do need to study. The exams are in a couple of days. We don't have time to waste."

"Yes, Hermione." Ginny agreed with a pout and pulled her hands away from undoing the belt that secured the apron of her outfit.

"Pass me a cup of that tea will you, love?" Hermione asked. Taking the cup that her wife dutifully proffered, she continued. "Let me guess, Mum put you up to this didn't she?"

"Yes, she caught me after my shower and got me to wear this." Ginny informed her as Hermione gestured to the younger woman that she was free to enjoy her own tea. "She thought it would be a nice joke."

The two of them had just come back from their daily evening run, part of the exercise regiment they'd both taken up in a bid to build up their fitness for the physical portion of the Organization exams, and had split up to shower. They would have shared one, but after that one time Dad had accidentally walked in on them while they'd gotten carried away in the bathroom… They'd learned to refrain from temptation.

"I suppose it is," Hermione agreed, taking a sip from her drink. It was perfectly to her tastes, just as expected. Ginny always went out of her way to make things perfect for her.

 _A little too much at times._ Hermione thought to herself with a mental frown, knowing better than to sport such an expression around her wife. The histrionics that might result as her wife fretted over what she'd done to induce it wasn't something she was willing to deal with.

Ginny's submissive nature unsettled Hermione at times even if it complimented her own domineering one well. The extent of it was just a little extreme even for her tastes sometimes. It spoke of something potentially wrong with her wife's mind and not for the first time, Hermione considered bringing Ginny to see a professional.

 _But what if they healed her mind and she leaves me?_ Hermione's mind wailed. _I love her! I can't live without her!_

They sipped their tea in silence for a moment, Hermione lost in uneasy thought over her wife's mental well being and Ginny looking at her expectantly for orders. Hermione noticed that the redhead's eyes darted to the discarded _Prophet_ though and seeing the excuse to discard the dark road her mind had taken, she pounced on the opening.

"They are reporting that Rhode has resurfaced in the States," Hermione informed her wife. "The government has reached out to her about completing her magical education."

"I _knew_ she survived that assassination attempt. She's too stubborn to just die like that." Ginny said with a relieved sigh that belied her words. "Did they say where she went to recover?"

"No," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "If the government knows, I doubt they'd tell the _Prophet_ or let it publish the information even if they did."

Ginny nodded.

"Though you think that nearly dying will get that crazy girl to stop being so wild?" Hermione asked.

"You want me to have an opinion?" Ginny asked, blinking innocently.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ginny dear, I do. Now tell me what it is."

"This wasn't the first time she almost died, she was at the Battle of Hogwarts and fought against Voldemort's undead army. Even fought the Dark Lord himself." Ginny said with a shrug. "This might have been her closest brush with death, but if past experience is anything to go by, I don't think anything will change about her. Like I said, she's too stubborn."

"I agree with you on that. Though I do wonder when her abnormal luck will run out?"

"If she keeps being so reckless? Soon." Ginny told her with a shake of her head. "I don't like saying that about someone, but Rhode is too stubborn to change her ways and if she doesn't she'll die sooner rather than later."

"You're harping on how stubborn she is a lot." Hermione noted with a frown.

"Is there _anything_ that defines her more?" Ginny pointed out. "All she ever knows to do is play by her own rules, to damnation with anything or anyone else. She's _always_ been like that. Am I wrong?"

"No, no, you're right." Hermione agreed with a sigh.

"Rhode could really do with letting someone make her decisions for her for a change. Even if only for a little while." Ginny said, smiling pleasantly at Hermione. "It does wonders for me."

Hermione blushed and looked away.

"Enough talk about others," Hermione said as she recomposed herself and put down her tea cup, before turning towards the stack of books she'd laid out on their study table. "It's time to work hard on making _our_ futures a success."

"Yes, Hermione." Ginny said as she followed her lead and set aside her drink to begin their study session.

Rolling her eyes at her wife, Hermione picked up the book at the top of the stack and got down to the serious business of studying.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends, it's here! The next installment of The Unrelenting Frozen Seas has been uploaded! We know you've been waiting for it!
> 
> Nameless: So as E4E says the sequel for The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Trials has been released. We decided to try something new this time and include a short omake to commemorate the occasion and spice the announcement up a little. Please do drop by the new fic to have a look.
> 
> And of course we had a different POV to show some outside perspective to the action that's going on in the world.
> 
> Nameless: Why did we choose to use Ginny and Hermione as our POV characters in this omake/sequel announcement? One big reason is because we couldn't really think of any other opportunity to give them POVs within the main story where we could give insight into their opinions on their relationship, which is obviously a major departure from canon but which we sadly never really explored much. Another is that having relative outsiders to Rhode's story announce her return allows us to avoid spoiling too much.
> 
> You know what to do! Get excited and check out the new book!


End file.
